Cirque de Merveilles
by simplysubtle
Summary: A beggar girl - only nineteen, gutter trash and nothing less. Evelyn's life is flipped upside down when she's brought to the Noah's Ark Circus, and asked to perform. All is not as it seems, however; a threat lies within two new members of the circus, and a dark secret threatens to tear apart the performers as a whole. Joker/OC pairing; rated T because it's Kuroshitsuji.
1. Chapter 1

"Any change, miss? Even a pence wou' help."

A girl's voice cracked in the wintery air as she outstretched a hand towards a bundled-up noblewoman. Somewhat frightened, the woman shook her head and let loose a swift apology before scurrying along on the street, muttering something about "bloody gutter trash" as she swept her skirts along. The girl sighed, hunkering down against the brick wall and letting loose a series of loose, sickly wet coughs.

The girl was Evelyn Anne Glassow - a nineteen year old woman gone from riches to ruins in a few short years. When Evelyn was fifteen, her parents - two nobles, quite high in society - had been murdered for a reason unapparent to Evelyn. In a year, her inheritance had run out, and she was forced to sell most of what she owned to keep her manor up and running. Alas, in the end, she had been turned out onto the streets, thrown onto the worst of bad places - East End. And as such, there she was, begging for money outside of an alley.

"Change, sir? Even a pence wou' help." She asked for the thousandth time that day, coughing wetly into a torn handkerchief. The cold December air had gotten to Evelyn earlier that week, giving her a nasty cough paired off with a raging fever. "Prostitution too good for you, woman?" The man chuckled as he passed by, tossing a small, silver coin at the beggar's feet. "Much appreciated, sir!" She called out in false gratitude, sighing as she stared at the single coin in her hand. Out of a day's work, a single pence was all she had gotten. Lovely. _I need a new way to get myself money,_ Evelyn thought. _I need medicine and I can't use air to pay for it._

Standing up and stuffing the coin into a pocket hidden in the folds of her skirt, Evelyn dusted her hands off on the long, worn fabric before heading out towards the middle of the street. She stood up straight, hands clasped, waiting for a child to come by. Eventually a little boy and his mother came to pass, and she called out to the pair, striding over to them and pulling out the coin. "Care to see a show?" She smiled wearily, pinching the coin between two fingers. "Yes!" The boy eagerly shouted, as his mother began to shake her head. "Oh, no, no, we have things to do -"

"But your little boy seems to want it, miss. It won't take but a minute!" She said reassuringly, kneeling down to the boy's height and putting the coin on the pad of her thumb. Quickly she began to roll the coin over her knuckles, time and time again, as the child cheered. Evelyn placed the coin in the middle of her hand, announcing "And now, we'll make this pence disappear!" as the boy gasped. Pulling her hand close to her body, she pretended to pick the coin up in her right hand, squeezing it into a fist and then opening her hand up. The child had a look of awe on his face as he asked "Where did the coin go?"

Evelyn smiled mischievously, sliding her hands over her skirt and letting the coin fall into a pocket. She held out both hands, exclaiming "Why, I don't know!" and laughing loudly, a wet cough forcing itself out of her body. She stood up, coughing into her handkerchief, as the mother gave her a kind look. "That was quite good, thank you!" She said, shaking the beggar's hand and giving her a single quid for the show. Evelyn thanked the two, before weaving in and out of the crowd, gathering pence and quid by doing small coin tricks for the children passing through. By the time evening fell, she had enough money to buy at least a bottle of cough medicine - and that was good enough for now.

Tying the coins into her handkerchief, she set about on her way - but only moments had she walked before the kerchief came untied, the coins clanking as they hit the street and rolled. A boy that had been hiding in the alley she passed immediately shot out, snatching up the money and running before Evelyn could do a thing. "You bastard!" She cried out, attempting to chase after the boy but failing to do so as violent, wet coughs wracked her body, bringing her onto her knees in the evening darkness. Tears began to rain from her face as she swore, getting up and staggering back to the alley where her things were. Settling down onto the ground, Evelyn pulled a thin blanket around her shoulders, the fatigue of the day causing her to quickly fall asleep despite her anger.

* * *

She was getting worse.

That much Evelyn could tell as she awoke to a throbbing headache, churning stomach, and coughs that ripped from her throat with more ferocity than ever before. _I need medicine before I catch my death out here, _ she thought sullenly as she wrapped her arms around her shivering form. _I guess it just has to come to this, huh?_

She had made up her mind as she struggled to her feet, wrapping the thin blanket around herself. Evelyn was going to steal the medicine for herself. An uncouth, illegal act, but what more could she do? A bitter taste spreading in her mouth, Evelyn made her way through several streets before finding a proper storefront. Heaving a deep, heavy-hearted sigh, she pushed open the door with a small chime and headed inside.

"Hello, ma'am, can I help you with anything today?" The store's owner called out from behind a wooden counter. "No, thank you!" Evelyn called back, her stomach churning more quickly as she made her way into the first aisle she saw. "I'm just looking."

Moving quickly throughout the aisles, Evelyn finally found the jackpot - medicines and herbal remedies. Clutching the shelves for support as she rifled through different bottles and boxes, Evelyn grabbed at the first fever medicine she saw - small red pills within a large package. Stuffing the box inside of her pocket, she snatched up a bottle of cough medicine, then began to reach out for a container of nausea-calming pills.

Somebody grabbed her wrist.

Terrified, Evelyn stood frozen in place. "Now, y'don't really want t'do that, do you?" a voice muttered into her ear. Slowly she dropped the box, intense fear pulsing through her sickly figure. "And the others - yer not that smooth. I saw everything." The voice chuckled slightly. As she placed the bottle and package back onto the shelf, the voice's grip loosened, transferring to her shoulder and turning her face to face with... a redheaded man wearing makeup.

"Mind tellin' me why you'd go an' steal medicine?" He asked quietly, violet eyes staring down at her in curiosity. "I..." Evelyn began, before her face hardened. "Why d'you think?"

The stranger glared down at her for half a minute more, before bursting into laughter. "Oh, lord, the look on your face!" He chuckled, dabbing a gloved finger at the thick eyeliner surrounding his eye. "You'd think y'were bein' apprehended or something. Oh, my," He grinned. "No, I can definitely see why. One a'those East Enders, are you?" he asked, thick Cockney accent becoming more apparent. Evelyn stared at the man for a moment, before looking down, quietly admitting "...yes."

"I see." He nodded wisely, spiked hair bobbing up and down, before taking the medicine with his good hand. "Wait here a moment," he called over his shoulder, disappearing for a few minutes then coming back with a small brown sack. "Here," he said, holding the sack out towards you. "Figured it could only be right." Evelyn looked from the sack, to the man's face, then back again. "I... don't understand," she said dumbly, a deer-in-the-headlights look making itself at home on her face. "Why would you..." she trailed off.

"See, I've been in your place, missy," the redhead said casually, poking the girl in the shoulder at the word 'missy.' "Homeless, no money, had to resort to thievery. I wasn't good at it either, now, don't you worry," he added quickly. "But I know what yer goin' through." He offered the sack out again, and this time Evelyn took it, holding it gingerly between her fingers. "T-thank you," she whispered, heat rising in her cheeks - because of embarrassment or fever, she wasn't sure. Tucking the bag under her arm, she began to walk out of the store, walking halfway down the street before realizing the ginger was following right behind her.

"Uh..." she said lamely, turning to face the man. "I mean no offense, but why are you following me?" The redhead grinned widely at her. "'Cause you're a real interestin' case, miss...?" he trailed off, staring at her for a moment. "Evelyn," the girl provided, walking along at a faster pace. "Somebody catches you stealin' and you're so nonchalant you'd think it was a casual occurrence," he laughed. "I... don't even know your name," Evelyn said, wanting desperately to go lay down on her spot in the alley and heal. "Joker." The redhead announced.

"...Excuse me?" Evelyn cringed inwardly at the utter confusion dripping from her voice.

"Joker!" He brightened, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulder. "The name's Joker." Evelyn stared at the man for a moment, nodding slowly, before saying "Alright... it's nice to meet you, Joker. I'm in your debt for these." She gestured to the bag of medicine at her side. He nodded at it, walking along beside her for a street's length before blurting out "Evelyn, you got any special talents?"

"Talents?" Evelyn echoed, placing a hand to her chin and thinking. "Well... I can do some funny little tricks, and I have a fine voice when I'm not rasping from sickness." Joker practically whooped at her words. "What sort of tricks?" He asked eagerly. "Things with coins, making items 'disappear'... illusions... my father taught me. He was quite the trickster." She smiled fondly at the memory.

"...Evelyn, I think I've got just th'place for you. Will you come with me?" Joker asked, beaming and holding out a hand. Hesitantly, Evelyn nodded, taking the man's hand. Immediately they shot off, Evelyn being dragged behind the ecstatic man as her dizziness increased and her stomach churned. Losing her balance, she tripped over her own feet, and immediately fell off the drop off of the pavement.

A nasty crack sounded out as Evelyn's head met with the London streets and her world went dark.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this! More to come soon. :) Feel free to give me constructive criticism. Lord knows I need it. **


	2. Chapter 2

Something was covering Evelyn's face.

Groggily, she reached up and felt around, her fingers grazing a cold, wet cloth situated on her forehead and beginning to droop over her eyes. With a slight groan she pulled it off, letting it slide to the floor with a resounding _plop. _Sighing deeply, Evelyn slipped back under the covers, stretching out over the soft, warm bed.

_...Bed?_

Evelyn's eyes flew open and she immediately sat up, staring at the woolen covers splayed over her legs. Her eyes darted from the white divider to her right, up to the tan fabric cascading from a support on the ceiling, then back to the 'wall' on her left - merely a thick, tan curtain. With a rush of dizziness Evelyn threw her legs over the side of the bed, her feet touching the... _dirt _floor. Stumbling to the edge of the divider, she peered over the white drapery.

At the far side of what Evelyn now recognized as a tent, there was a man with spectacles and wild dark hair hunched over a desk, settled into a wheelchair. In his hands he held, with a jolt of realization from Evelyn, a shiny-looking limb. The hand of the limb flopped back and forth as the man moved it, then set it back down onto the table, pulling out a screwdriver and lowering it to the fingers.

Grasping the metal support of the divider, Evelyn unsteadily pulled herself into the aisle, staring at the man and clearing her throat. "H-hello...?" She rasped out quietly, her throat raw from disuse. The puffy-haired man jumped violently, whipping his wheelchair to the side to face her. Recognizing her, his face calmed, and he placed a hand to his heart, muttering something and shaking his head. "Gave me quite a fright, there," he said, wheeling up to her. "Back into bed, you're ill," he scolded, wheeling closer to her as she stepped back, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Where am I?" Evelyn asked hoarsely as the man took a clipboard from the end of the bed and pulled a pen from his pocket.

"Noah's Ark Circus, medical tent," He informed her, positioning the pen over the clipboard. "I just need to ask you a few questions, alright? Just call me Doc. Everyone here does," he gave her a reassuring smile, pushing his glasses back over his nose. "Now, what's your name?"

"E-Evelyn. Evelyn Anne Glassow." She replied, as the doctor nodded.

"And your age?"

"Nineteen."

"How do you feel?"

"Terrible," Evelyn whispered, leaning back against the headboard. "My throat feels raw, my head is spinning, and I feel like I'm going to vomit any minute," she added, as Doc looked up at her as if to ask for more. After a few more questions, the man clicked his pen and surveyed the clipboard, finally looking up at her once again. "Seems like you've got a mix of things, Miss Glassow - probably pneumonia and a mild case of influenza. Nasty stuff," he mumbled, pressing a hand to her head, then pulling out a stethoscope and listening to her heart and lungs. As he went through the motions, Evelyn couldn't help but to blurt out questions of her own.

"Pardon, but... why am I at a circus? How long have I been here?" She asked, utterly confused.

"I don't know the exact reason _why _you're here, but I can tell you that Joker brought you here two days ago. You looked as if you were on death's doorstep, bleeding from your head and a nasty sickness wracking you with coughs," Doc replied, a small smile appearing on his face as he began his next sentence. "You do owe the man an apology, though - you woke up once a day ago, absolutely delusional, while I was checking on you. He'd joined me and for some reason you began to flail. You kicked him in the head," he began to laugh, whipping off his glasses and wiping tears from his eyes. "I apologize, it's terribly rude of me to laugh. It wasn't funny at the time."

_He buys me medicine, acknowledges me as a human being, and I kick him in the head, _Evelyn thought, putting her hands to her face in embarrassment. _I am a terrible person. _

"Well, you seem to be... stable for now, so I'm going to go back to my work - just call out if you need anything, rather than getting up. You need to rest." Doc told her, before wheeling himself behind the divider. Evelyn laid in bed for a while after that, staring up at the draped ceiling, before finally closing her eyes and falling asleep once again.

* * *

Sweet, precious sleep. It truly was the best medicine.

Stretching out her arms and letting loose a long yawn, Evelyn opened her eyes, blinking the sleepiness away...

But not blinking away the face that was inches from her own.

"_What the fu-?!" _Evelyn screeched, launching herself backwards and instantly regretting it as the back of her head banged against the metal backing of the bed. Feeling the slowly growing bump, she shook her head, furrowing her brow into a glare as she stared up at the face of her intruder. Her face relaxed as she realized who it was._  
_

"Oh, lord! You a'right?" Joker asked worriedly, straightening up into a sitting position on the side of the bed. "Why... why would you do that?" Evelyn asked in exasperation, lightly rubbing the painful welt on the back of her head. Joker shrugged. "Was going to wake you to a smile, but it seems you weren't quite pleased with that," he grinned. Evelyn put her head in her hands.

With a loud squeak Doc wheeled himself around the divider, giving Joker a disdainful look. "Didn't I tell you not to terrorize the patient?" He asked, looking irritated. "Aw, Doc, don't think of it as terrorizing! Think of it as shining some sunlight on a cloudy day," Joker protested, slapping a hand on the man's shoulder. Evelyn shot the two men a look, sitting up and shaking her head as Doc wheeled away.

"So, how're you feeling?" Joker asked. "Really gave us a scare the other day, flailin' around... still got a bruise from your kicking," he grimaced, pushing back his bangs and showing Evelyn the dark, circular mark taking up most of the skin on the left of his forehead. With a short gasp, the girl stared at the ringleader in horror, before dropping her head and staring at her lap. "I am so, so, _so _sorry," she mumbled, feeling rightfully ashamed after looking at the injury on the man's head. Joker, to Evelyn's surprise, laughed. "It's all fine, really!" He objected. "'S not sore or anything. Just _looks _nasty," he said reassuringly. Evelyn was still uncertain.

"So!" Joker clapped his hands together, causing Evelyn to jump. "How're you feeling?" He asked with a grin.

"Oh, uh..." Evelyn stammered. "Much better, now that I've had some proper sleep. Not as feverish, either," she added hopefully. Joker's grin widened, if that were even possible. "Great! So you'll show me what you can do?" He asked eagerly.

"...What?" Evelyn wanted to hit herself over the head at the confusion dripping from her tone.

"What y'can do! You said you had some special talents and such," He replied. "And yer feelin' better, so that's something, right? Come on!" He said, grabbing the girl's hand and helping her up. "I'll ask you t'do some stuff for me, and afterwards I'll decide if yer able to fit in at Noah's Ark." Slowly, Evelyn nodded, though rather wearily. Joker practically beamed at that. "Great!"

"What first?" Evelyn asked, immediately regretting the answer.

"Juggling!"

And thus began a long-winded road of tricks, illusions, and performances.

* * *

**It may not be the best chapter, but hey, what can ya do? Writing is all about getting better as you go along. Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

Circus life had been very kind to Evelyn in the short weeks after she'd been accepted into Noah's Ark circus.

Rechristened as Illusion, Evelyn had been taken into the circus right after her short "entrance exam" with Joker. After making herself "disappear" and turning out the lights with a snap of the finger, the girl had immediately been accepted into the family - though first tier or second, she didn't know yet. Advised to start working on her act as soon as possible, there Evelyn was, magicking herself in a standing position onto the trapeze after the Flying Blanco an hour before her first show was supposed to start. With a small scream, she lost her balance, falling off into the net, bouncing slightly as she landed.

"Come on, Illusion, you can't keep falling! There's no net during the show!" Peter cried from his spot on the high podium, shooting the girl a small glare. "Sorry, Peter, Wendy - I'm just nervous," Evelyn called back, heading back down to the floor and in a puff of black smoke, appeared on the trapeze. Swinging back and forth, she shot a dazzling smile out to the imaginary crowd, launching herself from the trapeze and beginning her routine of appearances and lack thereof.

Finally Doll came in, flipping and twirling across the tightrope, landing with ease in her gorgeous white glory. This continued until all of the members began to disperse to their tents. Beast came up behind Evelyn as she walked away, striding along beside her and offering a word of encouragement. "I know this is your first show," the black-haired beauty began. "And it's make it or break it for you becoming first-tier off of this, but I'm just here to tell you; keep calm, keep focused, and have fun. We're all rooting for you," Beast told the younger woman, giving her a smile and walking off in the direction of the first tier tents. With the beast tamer's words in mind, Evelyn booked it to her shared tent in order to find her costume.

Evelyn's costume consisted of a white, transparent shirt with puffy sleeves down to her elbows; over which she wore a lavender corset top, a puffy black skirt that ended above the knee adorned with small ribbons at the fringe. Underneath it she wore black fishnet tights, completed with a pair of black ballet flats tied at the ankle. Her chocolate-colored hair was braided into a bun, small lavender ribbons worked throughout it and finished with a tie at the back. Thick black mascara and heavily applied eyeliner weighed down on her face, two small diamonds painted on the sides of her cheeks in the same shade of purple as her corset. Surveying the finished product, Evelyn decided she was good to go, and went to wait backstage.

Just as she arrived, Joker had run out onto the stage, calling out "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! We welcome you to..." as his voice faded the farther away he got. The large, muscly Jumbo made his appearance on the stage as Joker's voice boomed throughout the tent, announcing the different acts as they went along. Fire eating, knife throwing, flying trapeze... Evelyn counted them out in her head.

"Illusion!" Hissed Beast. "Get ready! You're about to be on!" Bringing herself back down to reality, the nineteen year old straightened out her skirt, taking a deep breath and raising her hands up, ready to go in snapping position.

"Our newest addition to the show - what's this?" Joker's voice cried, echoing through the tent as Evelyn snapped her fingers, a cold wind turning off all the lights in the tent as an air of mystique fell over the crowd. In a puff of black smoke, Evelyn appeared on the trapeze right on time, rocking back and forth on the thin pole, smiling as Joker announced "Illusion!"

Evelyn threw herself off of the trapeze, flipping, falling, and poof-ing herself away at the last moment, reappearing in a sitting position on the tightrope, her legs crossed as she wobbled precariously over the stage. With a swipe of her hand, a white cloud appeared out of nowhere, taking the form of Evelyn and allowing itself to fall backwards off of the tightrope, exploding in a cloud of smoke as Evelyn reappeared next to Joker as planned, taking a small bow and shooting lavender smoke in the air as she magicked herself backstage once again.

"Good job!" Beast hugged the girl, while signalling for Doll to go on. Evelyn couldn't keep a grin off her face as she took a bottle of water from a stage hand, sipping it quickly and thinking over the performance.

_I did it perfectly, _she thought with an overwhelming sense of joy washing over her. _I've made it!_

* * *

After the show, as the different acts separated and went to their different tents, Evelyn emerged from backstage and spotted Dagger and Joker moving throughout the rows of seats, taking the empty candy wrappers and trash from each chair and tossing them into bags. Grabbing a bag of her own, Evelyn began to shuffle through the aisles herself, eventually coming to a stop as the three performers met in the middle aisle.

"Good show tonight," Evelyn smiled, giving a nod to the two men as she tossed her bag into a trashcan, the others doing the same. "You guys were marvelous."

"You were great, as well!" Dagger said cheerily, dusting his hands off and flicking back his bangs. "Especially for a first-timer," Joker grinned, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Thank you," Evelyn said sincerely, hope rising within her chest as she looked up to the ringleader. "So? What's the verdict?" She joked, crossing her arms expectantly. "I think..." said Joker, trailing off. "...That you'll do just fine as our official illusionist." He finished, a goofy smile coming across his face.

Evelyn shrieked, grabbing Joker's hands and twirling around with the man as he laughed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she chanted, coming to a stop and enveloping the man in a hug before realizing what she was doing. With a small cough she withdrew, her face reddening as she smoothed out her skirt. "Ah - yeah. Thank you so much," she said, considerably calmer, before wishing the two men well and hurrying off into the evening air, cursing herself for acting like such a fool in the midst of her excitement. As she walked, deep in thought, Evelyn nearly bumped into Doll on the way to her shared tent.

"Oh, sorry," Evelyn said, stepping around the girl and walking beside her. "It's fine," the younger, white-clad girl said, fixing her sleeves as she strode towards the tents. "You did pretty well today, the crowd loved you," she added, glancing up at the nineteen-year-old and giving her a small smile. "Thank you," Evelyn said, fiddling with her hair. "I just talked with the boss - he said I'm the official illusionist now," she grinned, as Doll gasped.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Congratulations!" Doll exclaimed, nearing her tent, boding the woman goodnight as she disappeared behind the curtain. With a grin on her face, Evelyn practically skipped towards her own, shared tent, hoping that that night would be the last time she would be sharing a thin, unsteady mess of poles and worn fabric with another woman.

* * *

_A woman, a pained look on her face, laying in a puddle of her own blood. A man, gurgling something unintelligible as he lay beside her, his throat pouring blood from the deep slit cut into it. A music box, standing on a side table, playing an all-too-cheery tune for the occasion as a dark figure hummed along to it. _

_"...with his pipe made such a noise_

_That he pleased both the girls and boys_

_They all stopped to hear him play..."_

_The figure sang softly, taking a knife and sliding it across a dark finger, before kneeling before the woman and plunging it deep into her head, blood spurting from the wound as the figure removed the weapon, turning and sawing it across the man's neck as well. _

_"...__with his pipe did play with such skill_

_That those who heard him could never keep still;_

_As soon as he played they began to dance..."_

_The figure then turned, staring her right in the face. She was paralyzed, unable to move, unable to even scream. A vast, blinding white smile grew across the figure's features, as it knelt down once again, right in front of her. It reached out a hand, the smile growing ever larger, as it spoke - an eerie, echoing sound, that could belong to no human._

_"Evelyn."_

_It moved towards her, knife in hand, ready to strike._

_"Evelyn."_

_It raised the weapon, its hands tightening around the handle as it prepared itself._

_"Evelyn."_

_It swung downwards, a torturous pain erupting across her body as it struck._

"Evelyn!"

With a jolt Evelyn awoke, covered in a thin film of cold sweat. Her heart racing, she looked to the side of the bunk bed, where her roommate - a tightrope walker - stuck her face over the bars. "Come on, we're going to be late for breakfast and I'm going to murder you if we don't get any. I'm starving," the woman added, jumping down and racing out of the tent. "R-right," Evelyn said weakly, placing her hands over her heart in order to calm herself. _That damned nightmare again, _she thought bitterly, climbing down from the bunk and slinking towards the mess hall, not very hungry herself.

The nightmare had come to her at least once a week ever since the murder of her parents - who the figure was supposed to represent, Evelyn didn't know, as more than one man had assisted in the slaughter. It pained the young woman to re-live the deaths of her most loved ones so often, but hard as she tried, she couldn't fend the nightmare off by any means. Shaking her head as she arrived in the hall, Evelyn started towards what was left of the morning's feast, as she heard a call to her left.

"Oi! Illusion!" Dagger screeched, jumping onto a bench and waving his hands to get her attention. Evelyn's face burned as all eyes turned to her, everyone curious as to why the first-tier was shouting. "Come on over here, we got you some food!" He hollered, before plopping back down in his seat and tearing ravenously into a pile of bacon.

Slowly, cautiously nearing the table, Evelyn stood by it uncertainly, looking down at the spot on the bench and back up at Dagger. "Oh, stop being so dramatic about it, sit down and eat," Peter snapped from the end of the table, looking annoyed as he dug into his own breakfast. Jumping slightly at the boy's sharpness, she immediately sat down, picking up a fork and beginning to eat from the plate set there. Beast gave her a friendly smile as she sat down, asking "How's it feel to be eating at the first-tier table, eh?" as she picked up a glass of milk, draining it. Unsure of what to say, Evelyn gave the well-endowed woman a small smile and nod of the head.

Once finished, the first tier members stayed in their places at the table, laughing and joking together. Evelyn got a strange feeling, staring around at the table while her friends bantered, until it finally clicked. "Oh, where's Joker?" She blurted out, noticing the empty place at the table. The conversation stopped, all eyes at the bench turning to her.

"...Probably back in his tent, perfecting his makeup," Wendy snickered, along with Peter. "Yeah, or fixing his hair. Bloody man's obsessed with it," Beast muttered, causing Evelyn to laugh as the woman smirked up at something.

"Or he could've been helping to set up some new livin' quarters for the newest first-stringer," a new voice suggested, as Evelyn whipped her head to the side, seeing the man himself walk towards the table, chuckling slightly. "And m'not that obsessed with it, Beast! You wound me," Joker said dramatically, placing a hand to his forehead and turning his face away from the woman's. "New... living quarters?" Evelyn asked blankly, as Wendy and Peter burst into obnoxious laughter.

"Aye," the ringleader replied, pulling the plate of (now cold) food towards him. "First tier members get their own tent, didn't I tell you?" he said, grinning at the look of surprise on Evelyn's face. "Ah... no. But that's awfully kind of you," she added quietly, earning a smile from the man. "How about I show y'around it when we're done here? Y'could be moved in tonight if you work fast," he said, spiking the young woman's interest.

"That would be wonderful."

* * *

**Woo! Time skip! There's another one in store for the next chapter, but I think that'll be the last one for now. I feel really confident about this chapter. The ending's not quite what I had in mind, but hey - does anything turn out like it seems? Anyway, thanks for the support, guys! It's awesome to hear from you. Thanks a bunch~**


	4. Chapter 4

A year.

A full year had passed since Evelyn had become an awkward, new first-tier member. At first she was uncomfortable - it seemed all the other members around her were much more talented, more charismatic, more eager to make their mark on an audience. Slowly,though, she began to realize she couldn't compare herself to the others - she had her own special talents, and that was what mattered. Making a mark in her own way was better than limply conjuring up mirages and slinking off the stage as quickly as possible, riddled with doubt. With time, she added more tricks and trials to her performances, to the delight of the crowd. That aspect of circus life was going great.

Off-stage, Evelyn had become quite friendly with the other first tier members - often she went with Dagger to supervise training, and possibly toss a few knives (that usually clattered to the ground, in her case.) She helped Beast feed Betty, keeping her distance from the tiger but cooing over it nonetheless. Doll was quite the chatty girl once you got to know her, friendly and willing to talk about anything that held her fancy. Evelyn tended to keep her distance from Peter and Jumbo, feeling slightly frightened by the boy's snappish nature and the vastness of the fire-breather, but stretched with Wendy when she had the chance. Snake was another story - hard as Evelyn tried, she couldn't get close to the shy boy, no matter how hard she tried.

Joker she considered to be her best friend at Noah's Ark. Though he was certainly always busy, he seemed to make time to talk to Evelyn at some point in the day, asking how things suited her or if she was having any trouble. She quite liked the ringleader - possibly even fancying him. The two of them hung out whenever a bit of spare time became available, chatting, joking, even teaching each other little tricks from their performances. Most recently they had begun juggling, which Evelyn had a surprising amount of trouble with. Which brought her to her current predicament.

"Agh!" Evelyn huffed as the balls once again slipped out of her reach, bouncing to the floor. Sweeping the colored objects up, Joker handed them to her with a slight smile. "Didn't think a spot of juggling would be that hard for you," he teased, rolling up his sleeves. "Let me show you," he offered, taking the balls and arcing them in the air with ease.

"How do you even manage that?" Evelyn nearly shouted, frustration and bewilderment pulsing through her. "Just swing your hands, it's not that hard," he laughed, giving the tiny things back and settling back to watch Evelyn fail once again. "I just can't do it," she groaned, leaning her back against a pole in the training tent. "It's impossible."

"Hey, I managed it with one fake hand, y'can't say it's impossible," Joker chimed in, waving his skeletal hand around. Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Yeah, rub it in. That's charming," she said, sarcasm leaking from her tone. She and the ringleader both reached down at the same time, their hands brushing together as they picked up the balls. Evelyn's face went red, and the two met eyes for only a moment - surprised violet meeting a shy light green, before Jumbo's deep voice rumbled across the tent. "Got a minute, Joker?"

"Ah... yeah," he said, looking to Evelyn and back to Jumbo, "You keep practicing, Illusion, you need it!" Joker recovered, chuckling and ducking out of the tent. "Beast said she'd like you to help with costume repair," Jumbo turned to Evelyn, who responded with a nod, walking out of the tent herself and crossing over to a dark blue one.

"Heard you wanted help?" She called, maneuvering around the crates of clothing and makeup to find Beast bent over a piece of brightly colored fabric, needle in hand. Glancing up at the brunette, Beast smiled briefly. "Yes, there's more repairs to be done than expected... Since you've helped me before, I figured you could again." Evelyn nodded, taking up a needle and thread and positioning it over a navy blue skirt, beginning to sew jagged loops into the dark fabric.

"So, what've you been up to?" Beast asked, her eyes never straying from the steady line of stitches she was making. "Nothing much, Joker tried to teach me to juggle," Evelyn shrugged, finishing the small repair job and moving on to the next one. "Oh, that's the worst," Beast laughed. "He thinks that just because he can do it, everyone else can, too." Evelyn nodded, the two falling into silence and working quietly.

"What do you think of the new recruits?" Beast asked as Dagger pushed his way into the tent, walking towards a crate filled with makeup and digging around for something. "Oh, me?" The boy asked, his eyes shining as he turned to his sister, happy to have been acknowledged. Beast scowled. "No, I asked Illusion." She gestured to the girl, before continuing her work.

"Oh... They're not too bad. Their accents are nice, though," she grinned, as the black-haired woman let out a laugh. "I agree with you there. And their faces aren't too bad, either," she wiggled her eyebrows, causing Evelyn to burst into a fit of laughter and Dagger to scowl.

"Seems like a lot of people we pick up are good looking," Evelyn commented.

"But none are better than the originals!" Dagger smirked, throwing an arm around Beast, who promptly shoved him towards a pile of crates. "You've got that right," Evelyn said suddenly, her mind wandering. "I do?" Dagger grinned, leaning in close to the illusionist's face. "What's this about, then?" He asked, a mischievous look glinting in his eyes.

"Not you!" Evelyn bit back, laughing obnoxiously as the knife-thrower looked hurt. A new idea in mind, the boy snatched Evelyn's needle away, holding it far above her as she jumped up to grab it. "Then who?" Dagger exclaimed, standing much taller than the girl, dangling the needle above her. Evelyn furiously tried to snatch it back. "None of your business!" She cried, trying desperately to reach the needle. Beast pulled her whip out, cracking it in the air as both the knife-thrower and illusionist stopped, fear in their eyes as they looked to the animal tamer.

"Dagger, give her the needle, it's one of the last we've got," Beast said in a steely tone. The boy dropped the utensil into Evelyn's palm, shrugging and leaving the tent. "That boy..." Evelyn said in agitation, sitting down and beginning to sew once again. "I know how you feel," Beast muttered, picking up another costume.

The two worked in silence for a while, before Beast stole a glance at the younger girl. "When you said that stuff earlier, did you mean that you actually...?" With pink-tinged cheeks, Evelyn looked away, mumbling "Y-yeah. I think so," and pricking her finger with the needle.

"So, um..." Beast began awkwardly. "Who...?"

Evelyn sighed. "Who do you think, genius?"

"Okay, okay!" The woman said defensively. "I just needed confirmation, that's all."

The two worked in silence for the remainder of the evening, each pair of eyes focusing on the project in front of them.

...although, Evelyn could have _sworn_ she felt Beast glaring at her.

* * *

The next morning, everyone in the mess hall was alight with a buzz - although for a reason Evelyn couldn't fathom. Every performer seemed to be excited, the younger ones bouncing up and down while the older ones chatted lightly, their voices buzzing with elation. Not that Evelyn minded - an air of eagerness and anticipation was much better than the usual, drowsy morning atmosphere. Even the first tier table seemed to be alight.

Nearing the table with her plate, Evelyn sat down, brushing off her skirt as she did so. "What's everyone so excited about...?" She wondered aloud, and her fellow first tiers gasped.

"Only the most exciting day of the year!" Dagger chirped, shoveling food down his throat as he looked at a morning paper. "...Beast? You know?" Evelyn asked hopefully, and the black-haired woman gave her a tired look. "It's Noah's Ark's anniversary," she replied, dividing a piece of French toast into squares. "It's been... oh, god, how many years since this place came to be?" Beast looked to Jumbo, who shrugged slightly.

"Anyway," Beast continued. "Every year we have a big party - drinks, desserts, music, the whole package. It's actually quite fun," she smiled.

Evelyn looked surprised, excitement beginning to build inside her. "A party?" She nearly squealed. "I haven't been to a party in so long!" She cried joyously, memories of such events in her childhood flooding her mind. Beast frowned as the illusionist nearly screamed in exhilaration, looking over her drab every day clothes.

"...Illusion, what are you going to wear to the party?" She asked. Evelyn stared at her for a moment, her smile fading. "Oh... I don't really have anything that nice..." Evelyn said thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, I'll let you borrow something," The animal tamer smiled, returning to her food. "Oh, that's great!" Evelyn replied, grinning. _Everything's taken care of, then! _She thought happily, letting her mind wander off to dances, partners, music... who she would waltz with if it came time...

_I'd need a partner..._

Evelyn blushed fiercely as the first face that popped up in her mind was that of a redheaded ringleader.

* * *

**Kind of a filler chapter, really, but we all write those from time to time! I'd imagine Beast would be something fierce if someone tried to steal her man - that's why the glaring bit was in there. Oh well. I'll be writing more tonight, you might even hope for another chapter!**

**See you at the party, next time in Cirque de Merveilles!**


	5. Chapter 5

Evelyn had been to a lot of parties in her lifetime, but none like _this._

Instead of quiet, formal music, the bouncing melodies sprung at her with an enjoyable ferocity, making her itch to swing herself around, hitching up the skirt of her dress and twirling to the song. Men and women alike laughed fully and loudly, not letting loose the polite little titters they had been taught to utter quietly. Some of the younger performers ran through the crowd, playing tag and roughhousing in their party wear, children's laughter echoing throughout the large tent. Spread throughout the space were tables of food and drinks - beers and wines of all sorts, elegant glasses and hardy mugs resting beside the bottles for anyone to use. The celebration was lively, and nobody let a minute of it go to waste.

Not even shy Evelyn, who usually stood in the back at parties - no, the illusionist, clad in a flowing, lacy lavender gown, was in the midst of the crowd. With a glass of wine in hand, she joked with the other performers, occasionally placing down her glass and dancing with whoever held her fancy. Having never tried wine herself, Evelyn found the taste delectable, refilling her glass several times over the course of the night.

The party did have its downsides, as well. Evelyn found the celebrations caused her to stumble after time - because of fatigue or something else, she didn't quite know. Her and other attendees words began to slur, causing many mishaps with misunderstood phrases and mispronounced names. All the fun of a party, she supposed, filling her glass once again and wandering around.

At about one in the morning men and women began to leave, slowly and drunkenly dispersing to their tents, some having found new partners for the night. Evelyn began to wander around the room at this point, having felt as if she talked to everyone she needed to, grabbing up another glass of wine as she passed by a table, sipping it with glassy eyes as other performers stumbled past. Eventually she stopped paying attention to where she walked, and staggered into someone, wobbling as she desperately tried to right herself.

"Oops!" She giggled, flinging out her free arm to steady herself. The person she had bumped into turned, looking at her with slight concern, as she stood up straight, taking a sip of her drink.

"...Illusion?" The man asked, a bemused smile on his face.

"Oh! You know me! Wait -" She gasped, realization filling her mind as she studied the face of the person. "Damn!" Evelyn exclaimed, reaching out a hand and touching the redhead's suit. "Joker, you look real nice in a suit!" She burst into a fit of giggles, swaying slightly to the side. Nearly falling over with the slight movement, Evelyn grabbed the ringleader's shoulder for support, leaning in and whispering "Real sexy, too," into his ear before giggling once again and regaining her balance.

Joker stared at the illusionist, unsure of what to say. "Ah... thank you...?" He replied, a slight blush rising in his cheeks as the drunken girl laughed again. "Evelyn," he began, using the girl's real name as he gazed at the glass of wine in her hand. "How many drinks have you had...?"

"Um," Evelyn muttered, her brow furrowing as she tried to count in her head. "Three, maybe?"

"Or possibly four times that," Joker shook his head, reaching down and taking the glass from the girl's hand. "I think that's enough for tonight."

"Aw," Evelyn pouted slightly, before brightening up once more. "Oh well. Wanna go dance?" She blurted, out, taking the ringleader's hand.

"Er, no, sorry - I was just about to head to bed, maybe y'should do th'same..." Joker stammered, looking rather uncomfortable at the sudden suggestion. Evelyn shrugged.

"Okay. Night! Don't let the bed bugs bite!" She laughed loudly as she staggered off into the crowd once again, determined to ride out the rest of the night in celebration. Joker stared after her for a moment, before shaking his head once again and disappearing towards the first tier tents.

* * *

_Bed._

Evelyn's mind only let one thought clear the drunken fog: _bed. _She was so tired.

After two hours more of dancing and chatting, all the performers had finally gone to bed, leaving a trashed tent and empty tables of wine and food, merrily calling out "Happy birthday, Noah's Ark!" before disappearing into their tents - some with company, others alone.

Evelyn herself stumbled towards the row of fancier quarters, fully intent on finding a nightgown and collapsing into bed. As she neared the row of nicer tents, a thought struck her mind - where _was _her tent? Deciding on using an age old method to sort out her predicament, Evelyn began to mutter to herself, using a finger to count each tent.

"Eenie, meenie, miney, mo... something... something... don't go in the tent with the snakes," she murmured quietly, deciding on the fourth tent from the left. Staggering towards it, Evelyn nearly fell over as she struggled with the flap, finally progressing through the entrance. "Pajamas," she whispered, thinking she had to be quiet in the dark.

Her vision blurring, Evelyn picked up the nearest thing she saw - something white with long sleeves. Pulling her party dress off and dragging the nightgown over her head, she looked around blearily, finally finding the bed. "Not where I left it," she grumbled slightly, finding herself irritated at the sight. Lurching towards the brass bed, Evelyn tumbled into it, sensing something move beside her but feeling too sleepy to care.

"G'night, me," Evelyn mumbled to herself, before falling into a deep and easy sleep.

* * *

Her head was _killing_ her.

That was the first indicator something was wrong - Evelyn felt as if any second her head would burst. Then there was her stomach - the remainder of whatever was inside of her churned ferociously, threatening to dispel itself in a moment's time. And the bloody draft - there must have been a hole in her tent, she reckoned as puffs of warmth heated her face in the morning air. Trying to move her fact away from the air, Evelyn's nose bumped into something, and for a moment she wondered if she'd ended up at the end of the four-poster, her nose rubbing against the brass poles.

Drowsily, slowly she opened her eyes, and what she saw nearly made her heart stop.

His face. Right in front of hers. Their noses touching. Him breathing onto her face while asleep. Her arm trapped underneath his body. His arm flung haphazardly over her waist. Their legs entangled in the sheets. Her...

_...Wearing his shirt._

A small, high pitched whine erupted from Evelyn's throat, absolute terror rushing over her in waves as she tried desperately to recall the events of the night before. She could only remember the start of the party, wishing the first tier members a happy anniversary before beginning to drink.

_I couldn't have been drunk, _Evelyn thought in disbelief, the throbbing pain in her temple screaming otherwise. Clearing her mind as best she could, Evelyn diverted her attention to the situation at hand. _Maybe if I just slide my hand out - no, he'll wake up, _she thought frantically. _Or I could maybe - oh, God, what did I do last night? _She moaned inwardly.

And that was when the panic attack came.

Right in front of her, Joker yawned, raising a hand and covering his mouth. Sleepily he began to open his eyes, drowsy violet irises staring into terrified light green. It took a moment for both to react.

"God above!"

"Holy Jesus!"

The ringleader and illusionist screeched simultaneously. Joker jolted back, as Evelyn nearly jumped a foot in the air, accidentally falling off the bed in her confusion, tearing her head across the corner of a night table on her way down. "Fuck!" She swore loudly, holding her - now worse - sore head as she sat up.

"Evelyn - you - what're-?" Joker sputtered, pushing his tousled hair back as his face burned red and his heart pumped wildly.

"Oh, shit, shit, _shit..." _Evelyn cursed, sounding near to tears as she put her face to her hands. "I am so sorry, oh my God - I guess I just wandered in here last night, and -" She choked out, running her fingers through her hair in an anxious twitch. "I mean, I _do_ like you, but I never thought I would do anything like that, I mean-" The girl sounded near to hysteria as she scooted away from the bed, now curled against the tent's 'wall.'

"Wait, what?" Joker stammered. "Do what? I - why are you wearing my shirt? Wait, never mind - are you a'right?" He rambled frantically, remembering the girl's tumble to the floor.

"I - ah, yeah, I think s-" Evelyn squeaked, still mentally freaking out from the situation. She raised a hand to her head, touching the wound and drawing her fingers back as pain stung from the area, staring at the sticky substance that coated her digits.

_Blood. _

The illusionist shrieked at the sight as Joker hopped from the bed, drowsily clamoring towards her. Turning her head with his hands, he himself nearly had a heart attack seeing the liquid that dripped from the gash, giving a small squeak of surprise. "Wh-what do we-?" Evelyn yelped. Joker immediately snatched up a spare shirt that had been discarded on the floor, pressing it to the injury as a voice sounded from the entrance of the tent.

"Joker, are you alright? I heard yelling and-" a certain black-haired beauty asked worriedly as she ducked into the tent, stopping in her tracks as she stared at the two performers - Evelyn, sitting on the floor with the ringleader's shirt on, her hands hidden behind her head as she stared at the animal tamer, and Joker, kneeling beside her and pressing a bunched cloth to the back of the illusionist's hair - both red-faced and breathing heavily. There was absolute silence for a moment, before Beast's face contorted into a slight expression of rage.

The woman swore loudly and stormed out, whisking the tent flap closed behind her as Evelyn looked hopelessly to Joker.

* * *

**My god, I had so much fun with this chapter. I re-wrote it at least four times, entertaining myself with different scenarios. Bit of a comedy chapter, this one.**

**So, to recap - Evelyn's woken up (after a drunken night) in Joker's bed, Joker's having a royal panic attack about it (could he possibly like her too? maybe that's why he's so flustered...) Evelyn's injured, and Beast walked in on the two. What will happen next?**

**Stay tuned to find out! (And thus, I leave you with the cheesiest phrase of all time.)**


	6. Chapter 6

Evelyn wasn't one to hate many things.

Dislike ? Sure. She was fine with admitting she disliked some things - but the true, burning rage that came with hating something wasn't all that evident in Evelyn's mind. But, the illusionist discovered she had an intense, deep hatred for one thing - being avoided.

After tossing a blanket over her shoulders and escorting the girl over to the medical tent, staying with her as Doc stitched the back of her head (and gave the pair a few odd looks) Joker hadn't spoken a word to her. Hadn't appeared at the mess hall. Hurried past her after performances, not even sparing a glance in her direction.

Two weeks this had gone on. And she was _sick _of it.

It tore Evelyn's heart apart. Not only did Beast seem to hate her now - she had caught the busty woman glaring at her more than once over the past days - but to be avoided by someone who she admittedly loved? That suffocated her. If Evelyn dwelt on the thought too long, she felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes threatening to spill over with tears. It killed her that Joker was outright avoiding her. She wanted it - no, _needed _it - to stop.

All of this the illusionist had confessed to Dagger after everyone had left the mess hall one night, who listened patiently and gave the girl a tight hug, before leaning back in his seat and contemplating the situation. "What do I do?" Evelyn mumbled hopelessly, laying her head on the wooden table and closing her eyes.

"Honestly, Illusion, I don't really know. It's not like Joker to avoid someone," Dagger said thoughtfully, fiddling with a knife in his hands. "Usually he deals with things head on. Gosh, you really screwed up, didn't you?" He cracked a slight smile, lightly batting the girl on the arm. Evelyn gave him a sharp look, and the knife-thrower sighed. "Just... I don't know, talk to him."

"...What?" Evelyn raised her head, looking puzzled.

"Talk to him," Dagger repeated. "You're not going to get anywhere if you sit and let it stew. Figure out why he's been avoiding you. Be an adult and sort it out," the performer said bluntly. Evelyn stared at him, confused.

"But..." She began, as Dagger turned to her, pointing a finger at her accusingly.

"No buts! Go sort it out! Right now," He said sternly, suddenly convinced his statement was the only way to go. Standing up from the table, he took the illusionist's arm, pulling her up from the table and giving her a small push towards the entrance to the hall. Giving the boy a frightened look, Evelyn began to slouch forward, jumping about a foot in the air as Dagger shouted excitedly from behind her, "Go!"

And thus, Evelyn found herself standing outside of Joker's tent, twiddling her thumbs and wondering what on earth to say.

_Could just barge in there, demand an answer, _a sly voice crept into her head. Evelyn gritted her teeth. _No, that wouldn't work... maybe I could be cold about it? No, that's not me at all... Perhaps I- oh, hell, _she thought bitterly, as the entrance to the tent began to move. Evelyn filled with horror, mentally panicking, speechless as she came face to face with Joker once again.

The man stared at her in surprise, not expecting to meet her outside of the tent. Evelyn gazed back, feeling a small lump rise in her throat. Swallowing it, she began uncertainly. "I... um..." She stammered.

"I c-came to apologize," She found herself saying, mentally screaming at herself for sounding so pathetic. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! _"For... whatever it was I did... the other night..." Evelyn muttered quietly, heat rising in her cheeks as she looked to her feet. "And I was kind of wondering..." She continued, her eyes glued to the ground. _Suck it up, Evelyn! _"...Why you're avoiding me." She finished, looking straight up at the ringleader, her eyes blazing.

The silence was deafening.

It felt like the two stared at each other for hours - Evelyn, looking angry, while Joker looked surprised, his mouth slightly agape. Slowly Evelyn began to look down, her face burning in shame - until she heard a small sound. Her head snapping up, she saw - to her bewilderment- Joker bent over, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter as he put a gloved hand to his mouth. Eventually he straightened up, tears of laughter in his eyes as he spoke. "'M sorry," he apologized, a small smile cracking across his face. "Y'looked about as fierce as Betty for a moment there; couldn't help but laugh," Joker admitted.

Evelyn wasn't usually quick to anger, but this was special - she flew into a rage, her face darkening as she hit the ringleader's arm and turned away. "You avoid me like the bloody _plague _for two weeks, then laugh when I try and apologize?" She ranted, beginning to walk - or more accurately, stomp - away. "You're an ass!" She spat.

Joker hurried after her, reaching down and grabbing her hand as she went. "Let go of me!" Evelyn said angrily, trying to pull away.

"Evelyn, I'm sorry." The words rung in her ears as the redhead spoke them quietly. "I shouldn't've laughed - this is serious. I'm sorry for avoiding you, it's just..." Joker struggled to find the words.

"It's just that I've acted stupidly, isn't it?" Evelyn asked, bitterness dripping from her tone. "Became a drunken fool at that party, did... whatever that night, and now you want nothing to do with me." She said it matter-of-factly, her voice cracking as she looked at the ground once again.

"It's not like that at all," Joker said quietly, taking her other hand as well. "Waking up and seeing you next to me like that, it startled me. Flustered me," He admitted. "I had no idea what t'say to you afterwards. Didn't know how to act. So I avoided you entirely, and I'm so sorry about that."

"O-oh..." Evelyn mumbled, glancing upwards. "I'm... sorry for getting angry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," she apologized, feeling embarrassed as she looked down to her hands, which were still clasped in Joker's. "But... why did you get so flustered?" She asked.

Joker went slightly red himself, looking away. "Ah... well, when y'started panicking, you started trying to explain yourself, remember?" A bit confused, Evelyn nodded her head slightly, thinking over the many things she had shrieked after falling to the floor.

_"I am so sorry, oh my God - I guess I just wandered in here last night..."_

_"I mean, I do like you..."_

_"I never thought I would do anything like that..."_

Evelyn froze, one line springing out at her like a jack-in-the-box. "_I mean, I do like you..." _echoed in her head like a mantra as she began to back away from the ringleader, dropping his hands and feeling her heart begin to pump at an alarming rate. "Evelyn?" Joker asked, looking bewildered.

"S-so you heard everything?" Evelyn squeaked, her voice coming out higher than usual as she began to panic once again. _He knows, _she thought as her stomach twisted with dread. Joker looked down at his hands.

"Yeah," he confessed, looking back up at the illusionist. "I heard what y'said, and sort of... panicked, myself." He said, taking a step closer to the girl and giving her a small smile. "Can I ask somethin', though?"

"What is it?" Evelyn questioned, wanting desperately to go hide inside her tent rather than face the fellow first-tier.

"What y'said... was it true?"

Evelyn stared at her feet, clenching her hands tightly as her face began to burn. "...Yes," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. That was when what was quite possibly the most beautiful thing in the world reached her ears.

"I hoped so."

A hand tilted her chin up and all Evelyn felt was the pair of lips pressing against her own before she melted away in a moment of pure bliss.

* * *

**/INTENSE SCREAMING/ IT FINALLY HAPPENED.**

**It felt so good to write this chapter. Painful at first, then amazing. I tried to keep Joker in character as best I could, but you never know what the character would do in that situation - it's all trial and error. **

**See you in chapter 7!**


	7. Chapter 7

_"I hoped so."_

_A hand tilted her chin up and all Evelyn felt was the pair of lips pressing against her own before she melted away in a moment of pure bliss._

After what felt like an eternity she opened her eyes, savoring the euphoria of the kiss as she slowly moved her head half-lidded eyes Evelyn looked up to Joker, who had a soft smile on his face as he looked down at the girl, reaching up a hand and brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. She blushed at the sudden movement, tearing her eyes away from the redhead's face and clasping his hands in her own.

"It's... quite late, I should get to bed," Evelyn murmured, extending her arm and caressing the ringleader's face lightly, relishing the touch. Joker smiled again, albeit rather sadly this time, giving a nod. Evelyn slowly let go of his hands, standing on her tiptoes and pecking him lightly on the cheek before whispering a "Goodnight," and turning to head to her tent.

Bending under the entrance, Evelyn kicked off her shoes, falling onto her bed and grasping a pillow tightly. A grin began to stretch across her face, and she flipped over, stuffing her head into the pillow. Letting out a loud squeal of excitement, Evelyn kicked her feet excitedly, eventually resurfacing from the pillow and holding her hands to her heart.

"This is unbelievable," She whispered to herself, closing her eyes and letting out a contented sigh, quickly and happily falling asleep.

* * *

The following morning was bustling, loud and hurried, as many of the performers hurried to prepare their things in order to move on from their current city. The day was moving day, and every trapeze artist, silk dancer, and acrobat rushed to shove all of their belongings into their old suitcases and get ready for a long carriage ride to their next destination - London.

Carriages lined up along the streets as the second tiers piled in, fitting eight to a coach. A single, larger carriage sat at the front for the first tiers to enjoy, with more leg-room and a small back area for them to pile in their belongings. It was quite the caravan - large wagons and float-like vehicles moved along the front, ready for the circus' arrival parade the moment they got to London. Once they crossed into the city, the performers would rush out of their carriages, jumping into place on the street and atop the wagons as they presented themselves to waiting crowds. It was a large affair that the performers loved - the moment of pure bliss as men, women, and children alike clapped and cheered at their arrival.

Evelyn rushed towards the first-tier carriage, having stopped to make sure the younger entertainers had all their belongings with them (many a time had passed when a child began to cry hopelessly, realizing a stuffed animal or cherished blanket had been left behind.) Swiftly she jogged towards the vehicle, the coachman giving her an aggravated look as she apologized to him, handing up a few pounds in an attempt to soften the man's anger.

Out of breath and huffing, Evelyn clamored inside the carriage, plopping down across from the trapeze artists after tossing her bag into the storage area. Smoothing out her skirt, she gave an exasperated smile to the rest of the first tiers as the coachmen shouted orders from outside, the horses beginning to trot along the pavement of the streets. "Sorry I'm late," Evelyn panted, smoothing back her hair. "One of the little ones forgot a hairbrush and refused to leave until we found it - a hairbrush, would you believe it?" She laughed. Peter shot her a strange look from across the aisle and Evelyn quieted down, clearing her throat and feeling rather awkward. Joker gave her an encouraging smile.

Evelyn smiled back, her cheeks reddening slightly as she looked away, clasping her hands together in her lap. Joker laughed quietly, finding the girl's embarrassment amusing.

Then she heard the "tch." The irritating, tiny sound that can make blood boil within minutes.

Evelyn's head snapped up, and she looked to her right, noticing for the first time Beast sitting beside her, looking extremely vexed. "...What?" Beast snapped, her head whipping towards the brunette as she noticed the illusionist looking at her.

"Wha-? Sorry?" Evelyn asked, looking (and feeling) extremely confused. The black-haired woman huffed, turning her head away and staring at her lap. Sick of the woman's attitude, Evelyn finally shifted, staring at the woman. "Beast, I just - you've been glaring at me and huffing under your breath for the past two weeks. What's wrong?" She finally asked, rather pointedly.

"What's wrong?" Beast asked loudly. "What's _wrong_ is that two weeks ago, I walk in and _you two -" _The animal tamer gestured wildly between Joker and Evelyn. " - are practically having at it on the ground!" The first-tier snapped, slamming her hands onto the seat and gripping it harshly.

"E-excuse me?!" Evelyn practically shrieked, her face turning ruby red as she stared at the animal tamer in disbelief. "That wasn't the case!" She bit back, wanting to go and bury herself alive at the looks the other first tiers were giving her. "That was a simple mistake and you know it, Beast!" Evelyn spat, crossing her arms and hugging herself tightly.

"A mistake," Beast snorted, pressing her fingers to her temple. "And I guess it was also a mistake last night by the tents, huh? Oh, I saw it," She warned, glaring at Evelyn's astounded expression. "All over each other, the pair of you. Disgusting," the woman grumbled, looking understandably upset.

"Beast, let's just... let's just sort this out when we get to London," Evelyn muttered, embarrassed. Beast practically blew up at that.

"Sort it when we-? No, we're doing this now," Beast snarled, standing up in the wide, roomy carriage. "I am sick, absolutely sick-" She said nastily, spitting out the last word. "-Of you acting like you own the damn place. Ever since day one you were fawned over, treated like a bloody princess - and it got to your head. Now you act like you're running things when you shouldn't even be here in the first place." She finished, giving the illusionist a fierce look.

"Beast-" Joker's voice sounded from the edge of the carriage, warning in his tone.

"Oh, pardon me for intruding upon your life!" Evelyn said heatedly, her eyes flashing as she stood, sizing up the busty woman. "If you didn't like me being here, why didn't you say something in the first place?" She snapped, giving Beast a nasty glare.

"Agh!" Came the screech of frustration from Beast, as the animal tamer shoved the girl towards the carriage doors, striding towards her and grabbing her by the shirt, holding her to the door as her emotions overpowered logic. The other first tiers immediately jumped up, a chaotic mix of voices screeching together as they tried to reason with the woman."And you feel like you're the one being persecuted!" Beast ranted, pushing the girl close to the wall. "How do you think I feel?" Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "I've been ignored by him for so long, and suddenl-" Beast cut herself off with a scream as the carriage door fell open from the pressure of both females pressed against it.

Along with it fell Evelyn and Beast, the girls slamming into the pavement, their bodies flopping like rag dolls as a large crack sounded in the air.

* * *

Everything was so _blurry._

Evelyn blinked, squinting in the midday light as voices spoke frantically around her, muffled by the ringing in her ears. Somebody stood above her, with a mop of black hair and a worried face, from what she could tell. They waved a hand in front of her face, and she tried to follow it, objects mixing together in the girl's haze.

Evelyn tried to push herself into a sitting position, an agonized scream ripping from her throat as white-hot pain pulsed through her arm. Cradling her limb, she dropped back down on the street, closing her eyes and feeling a throbbing headache from behind her lids. "Evelyn," The person said urgently from above her, the girl recognizing the voice as Doc's. "Can you open your eyes for me? I need to see if you have a concussion." He said, leaning over her from his wheelchair and holding up two fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked, as the girl blinked away the haze, squinting at his hand.

"Hell if I know," Evelyn mumbled, closing her eyes once again and crying out as Doc lifted her aching arm.

"Yeah, that's a break..." He muttered, stretching the limb so it would lay straight and tying a splint around it, bandaging over the wooden contraption. Quickly he assessed the multiple scratches and bruises scattered over the girl's body, before pressing a hand down on one of her legs. Evelyn whimpered quietly, tears pricking her eyes as she raised her other, bruised arm and pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to keep from shrieking. Doc began to bandage her leg up as well.

"Where's Beast?" Evelyn slurred, despising the girl more and more every second for getting so worked up as she struggled to speak. Doc gave the illusionist a small, stressed smile.

"She's alright, her prosthesis is a bit banged up because she rolled off of you and landed on it. Scratched it up, I might add," Doc sighed. "She only has some bumps and gashes. She's over with the others." He pointed to the side.

"Lucky her," Evelyn grumbled, feeling extremely sore as she sat up, her head spinning. With half-lidded eyes she looked to the side, seeing first and second tiers alike swarming the streets, loud voices rising up and mixing together to create a chaotic mix of tones. With a small grunt she struggled to her feet, accepting a crutch that Doc offered out to her as she slowly made her way towards where the first-tiers sat.

Dagger was the first to notice her, hopping up from his seat on a sidewalk and running over to see her. "Illusion!" He called, heaving a sigh of relief as he came to a stop in front of the woman. "You're okay!" The knife-thrower grinned, throwing his arms around the girl before drawing back at the small grunt of pain she gave. Evelyn gave the fellow first tier a small smile, gesturing down at her casts.

"If this is 'okay' to you, then I'm a bit worried for your sanity," She gave a short laugh, abruptly stopping at the ache that erupted across her skin as she did so. "Damn..." Evelyn muttered. Doll started to pipe up.

"Do you need anythi-?" She began, a loud voice cutting her off.

"Evelyn!" Was all the illusionist heard before a body slammed into her own, knocking her crutch to the floor as she was enveloped in a tight hug. Evelyn let out a cry of pain, looking up at the source. Joker immediately loosened his grip, looking horrified as he stared back down into the girl's green eyes. "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry!" He yelled frantically, starting to pull away.

Evelyn's broken leg crumpled beneath her as she gave a screech, her backside hitting the ground as she fell. Rubbing her hip, she tossed a slightly baleful look to the ringleader who gave her a terrible guilty look, pulling her from the ground and wrapping an arm around her waist to help her stand as he picked up the crutch, handing it to the illusionist and apologizing profusely. "It's fine, I'm fine, honestly," She reassured, although Joker didn't look too certain.

"So, should we be on our way to London, now, then?" Evelyn asked, and the first-tiers nodded, trekking back to the large carriage. Evelyn limped alongside Joker, sliding into the seat beside him in the vehicle and leaning her head on his shoulder.

Battered, bruised, and broken, Evelyn slipped into sleep as the carriage rattled its way into London.

* * *

**I'm going to formally apologize for this chapter right now, because I'm suffering a bit of writer's block so therefore, this chapter isn't very good. At least, to me it isn't.**

**Here's a couple of notes: I based Beast's reaction off of how she acted with Sebastian - she seems to get pretty physical when she's mad. Therefore, holding Evelyn against the carriage door. **

**I feel so bad for Evelyn, honestly. It's just her luck that she's finally going back to London, and manages to fall out of a carriage. **

**Anyway, I'll see you in the next chapter! This is where the manga bit begins - it's easier to fill some pages, but even better because I get to spin it with Evelyn being included in the fun!**


	8. Chapter 8

Evelyn had never realized just how beautiful London was.

Maybe it was that she had never seen it in its entirety - the bustling crowds, the laughing children, the fancy storefronts displaying toys, candies and clothes for insane prices. A woman squealed next to a jeweler's shop, her husband holding out a diamond necklace for her to take. A young boy tugged on his mother's arm, pointing to a teddy bear in a store window. A fiddler in the middle of the street had a crowd gathered around him, his arms moving rapidly as he played. The city was truly a dream for the wealthy - and for the poor, Evelyn reminded herself, a nightmare.

The performers rolled through the city, as cheers began erupt from the men and women who spotted them. Children were hoisted up into the air to get a better look at the Noah's Ark crew, laughing and clapping as the entertainers flipped through the air and did cartwheels on the ground. Leading the parade, Joker waved to the masses as he passed, occasionally juggling or doing tricks. Beast, practically unharmed, led Betty over the pavement, occasionally having the tiger roar or urging it ahead. Evelyn sat atop a wagon with Dagger, waving hello and smiling as she rolled by.

"Wonder where the fairgrounds are this time," the knife-thrower mused, tossing a dazzling smile to the crowds as their wagon rattled by. Evelyn shrugged slightly, grimacing at the ache that radiated from her arm with the action.

"I heard it's by a lake," She replied, calling out a loud greeting to a child near the front of a crowd. The little girl, who could have been no more than four, immediately lit up, looking very happy as she waved a tiny hand in the air. "Who knows? Maybe we could take a day off and go have a picnic," Evelyn suggested, turning to Dagger and raising an eyebrow, looking quite serious.

The two sat in silence for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, like we ever get a break," Dagger grinned, throwing an arm around the illusionist's shoulders. Evelyn chuckled, shaking her head.

"No, suppose not. It's all work and no play for us performers," She said cheerily. "But at least the work is fun!" She laughed, as Joker called out from the front of the parade.

"Fairgrounds ahead!" The redhead shouted, causing the performers to roar with wild cheering. The wagons and carriages were guided through a large gate, stopping once all of the coaches were safely inside the grounds. Once all were inside, the gates closed with a loud creak, and the entertainers began to stream from carriages and wagons alike, setting up tents and booths.

Joker wandered over to one wagon, helping Evelyn down as Dagger grabbed her crutch, lowering it so she could grab on. Gratefully she took the wooden piece, leaning onto it as she walked alongside the two, heading towards a stack of luggage that had been compiled as the carriages were emptied. Dagger took up his own bag, as Joker hauled both his and Evelyn's towards the first tier tents. "Well, aren't you sweet," Evelyn laughed, as the man struggled with her bag.

"What do y'even have in here?" The ringleader groaned, giving the girl a small smile as he trudged towards the tents. Evelyn giggled in reply.

Dagger sped over to his own tent, opening it up and tossing his bag inside before rushing back over to the pair, ushering them into Evelyn's tent. Joker gave a large grunt as he dropped the woman's bag on her bed, flopping down beside it with a heavy sigh.

"Hey, just because I slept in _your _bed..." Evelyn joked, leaning down to rummage through her bag, making sure everything was still there. Dagger let out a strangled noise from the entrance.

"Are you serious?" He screeched, zooming over and getting right in Evelyn's face. The girl backed up, looking startled. "That was serious? That wasn't a joke? You guys are actually-?" Dagger yelped, looking overly excited as he let out a small squeal.

"Shush, Dagger!" Evelyn scolded, her face burning red. "Else the whole camp will hear you!" Joker suddenly stood up, coming behind the illusionist and wrapping his arms around her, leaning his face over her shoulder.

"Is that such a bad thing?" He asked, his voice lowering. Quickly pecking her on the cheek, Joker drew away, laughing at the flustered look on Evelyn's face.

"You two are so obnoxious, I swear-!" Evelyn squeaked, looking ruffled as she jammed her hands back into her bag, trying to look busy in order to hide the befuddlement on her face. Dagger began to laugh as well as Joker, and suddenly the two were practically howling. "Alright, go be annoying somewhere else! Shoo!" Evelyn flapped her good arm, waving the two out of the tent.

_They act like such children sometimes, _Evelyn thought, a small smile appearing on her face. Changing into a nightdress, she slid under the covers and fell asleep.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Welcome to Noah's Ark Circus!" Joker's voice boomed cheerily across the big top, signaling the start of the show.

Evelyn clapped along with the rest of the attendees - unable to perform in the circus herself due to her arm and leg, she'd been granted permission to take the night off and watch the show herself. Laughing as Joker allowed colorful balls to drop onto his head as he bowed, she settled back in her seat, happy to watch such a grand performance.

Evelyn cheered along with the crowd as Jumbo breathed fire - whistled loudly for the pair Peter and Wendy - screeched her admiration for Dagger and Snake as each performer went through their act. "And now, a death-defying tightrope walk by the circus princess, Doll!" Joker cried, as all eyes fell onto the bright, young beauty. _She really is quite impressive, _Evelyn marveled, watching the girl gracefully slide into a split on the rope.

"Last but not least, the star of our troupe!" Joker announced over the crack of a whip. "I bring you the famous tamer of wild cats - Beast!"

The illusionist clapped less enthusiastically for the animal tamer, still a bit sour over the incident with the carriage. "We'd love some audience participation for this act -" Joker began to exclaim, as Evelyn let her eyes wander from the ring and glanced at the rest of the crowd. Seated on the far right, Evelyn could see most of the other people, some arguing over who would stand, others sitting quietly and hoping they wouldn't be called out. A distinguished looking man in black practically jumped to his feet, standing tall in the back of the crowd.

"This gent in the tailcoat sure looks eager!" Joker roared, holding out a skeletal hand and letting a sly smile play on his face. Evelyn laughed, clapping for the brave man as well as pitying him - he truly didn't know what he was getting into. The gentleman strode down the steps, hopping into the ring - but to Evelyn's surprise, he didn't stop as Joker greeted him kindly. "Now, if you'll just lay down here..." The ringleader trailed off, a startled look coming across his face as the man in black walked straight past him...

_...and strode right up to Betty._

Evelyn tightly grasped the back of the seat in front of her, eyes widening in horror as the man carelessly began to look over the tiger, muttering as he picked up the animal's paws, squeezing them. He even pet the wild creature, complimenting it as well. Evelyn felt as if she was about to faint, looking down, powerlessly, at the scene.

Poor Joker and Beast looked like they were about to faint, themselves, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the gentleman. "Very attractive!" The man finally exclaimed, smiling joyfully up at Betty, who proceeded to _bite him. _

Evelyn screamed, her hands flying up to her mouth as she stared at the scene, horrified. _Oh, we're going to be in such bad trouble... _Evelyn moaned inside her head, shutting her eyes as Beast began to flick her whip, yelling. "Betty, let him go!" The tamer shouted, beginning to lash the poor animal - only for the man to catch the end of the whip.

"What the hell?" Evelyn found herself yelping, her knuckles turning white as her grip tightened.

"She hasn't done anything wrong," The black-haired man said coolly. "I was so overcome by her charm that I behaved rudely, that's all. And... indiscriminate whipping isn't enough to train her properly," he added on, causing Beast to look offended. Evelyn felt rage swell up inside her - _who does that man think he is? Beast may not be the best, but her training skills are superb! _She thought angrily.

Sweet revenge - and also absolute horror - came when Betty bit the man once again.

* * *

**That was fun to write! **

**I get the feeling Evelyn will side with Beast quite a bit more from now on - she may be mad about the carriage incident, but dammit, nobody insults Beast's taming skills!  
**

**Anyway, I have something awesome for you guys! I'm going to be starting _a separate series of oneshots featuring moments between Evelyn and Joker._**

**Now, now, I won't be forgetting about this fanfic - that would be silly. The oneshots are just a little extra something that I feel like you'll enjoy. **

**See you in chapter 9!**


	9. Chapter 9

Evelyn apologized for what felt like the hundredth time to a customer as she stumbled along with her crutch, having bumped into many a man or woman while trying to make her way towards the first tier living quarters. In her shock over what had happened, the illusionist couldn't help but replay the scene in her mind over and over as she walked, resulting in distraction - and, by default, running into the attendees. Swinging her way through the row of second tier tents, she overheard what could only be described as pure pandemonium as she passed the medical tent.

"...haven't even touched it yet!" Dagger's voice ripped through the air as several small pings were heard from inside. Curious, Evelyn cautiously drew the tent's opening to the side, peeking into...

Absolute chaos.

Dagger was screaming, whipping knives from his belt and tossing them at the dark-haired gentleman from before, who was standing on a support beam. The man easily caught the knives, a sly look crossing his eyes as he smirked down at the performers. Joker whistled, looking impressed at the man's ability. Beast cracked her whip, shouting "Don't get cocky!" as she began to fling the leather towards the man.

Immediately Joker stuck his cane into the whip's path, the weapon curling around it as the ringleader flipped himself over Beast with ease. He turned, giving the animal tamer the most chilling look Evelyn had ever seen - it gave her goosebumps to see the normally happy Joker looking so thunderous. His expression stayed enraged for only a moment, before turning into a smile as Joker made flowers pop out of his cane, offering the small gift to the busty woman.

"Ta-da!" Joker grinned. "Alright, that's enough," he said cheerily as Dagger began to protest. "Here, Beast, don't be so scratchy," the ringleader laughed, pushing the flowers closer to the woman as Doc panicked in the background. Evelyn felt jealous - _he never offered _me _flowers, _she thought enviously.

Beast started to object as Joker placed a skeletal hand on her shoulder. "It's such an 'ansome leg, I can see why he'd want to touch it!" He grinned, causing another pang of jealously to stab into Evelyn's heart. Immediately she decided to make her presence known, stepping in and clearing her throat, pretending to look confused as she stared at the wreckage.

"Oh, my, what happened here?" Evelyn asked innocently, shooting a small glare at Beast as she limped forward. The black-clad gentleman hopped down from the support beam, as Joker smiled softly at the illusionist.

"Oh, Evelyn!" He said, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around her shoulder for support. "Just a bit of a spat, nothing more - say, how's your leg? Bandages holding up?" He babbled, as the gentleman strode towards her, looking intrigued at the sight of her injuries.

"My, what happened to you, my lady?" The strange man asked, looking at her curiously, his eyes flashing with something Evelyn didn't quite catch - an odd look, one she didn't recognize.

"Nothing really," Evelyn brushed off the gent's words, leaning onto Joker for support. "Fell out of a carriage. Nothing too serious," she reassured. The gentleman raised an eyebrow in confusion, before Joker turned to him.

"That was mighty athletic, sir!" He said heartily, practically beaming at the man. "I reckon I'd hire you!" He laughed, as Evelyn tossed him a worried look. _They don't just... hire people here, _she thought. _Well, me being the exception, of course. _

"Is that true?" The gentleman asked all too eagerly, leaning in closely to the ringleader's face. Evelyn jumped back at the sudden movement, wobbling as she backed into a table.

"Truth be told, my current master is so spoiled, I'm quite disgusted with him," The stranger said, sighing with revulsion and shaking his head.

"'Master?' Be thee a servant, then?" Joker asked, his interest piquing. "I took you for a gentry, dressed up so fine..." He trailed off, as the stranger placed a hand over his heart, looking amused.

"Me, gentry? Hardly," He replied. "I am merely one hell of a butler," He said, his mouth curling upwards into a smile. The way the man said it sent a chill down Evelyn's spine, and with her free hand she clasped Joker's gloved one. "Now, was that true? If so, I'd very much like to join you."

"...Not having me on, are you?" Joker asked, sounding weak - but also suspicious.

"I never jest," The gentleman said, his red - _red, _Evelyn noticed, squeezing Joker's hand as slight fear began to pulse through her - eyes narrowing.

To Evelyn's dismay, Joker let out a small 'peh' of laughter. Quickly launching into full chuckling, the ringleader clapped the gentleman on the shoulders, laughing. "Lord, that's funny!" He guffawed. "Alright, me 'ansome. Sure, join us anytime!"

"Hey, Joker!" Beast snapped, beelining for the man as she got in his face. "You can't just decide that!" She said, looking very unhappy. _I still hate you, but thank you for speaking up, _Evelyn thought, agreeing with the animal tamer.

"We don't know where he came from, what his name is, even..." Evelyn offered, as Beast shot her a thankful look.

Joker raised his hands in defense, shrugging slightly. "But he's got such talent," he argued, as Evelyn died a little inside.

"Pardon me," The gentleman, now known as a butler, spoke up. "There's actually another person I'd like to introduce you to," he smiled.

"If he's anything like you, that's fine!" Joker chimed. "But I reckon we'll give an entry test," he added, as Evelyn and Beast sighed in relief.

"Very well," the butler agreed. "I'll come back tomorrow with him, then. Thank you for all your help today," he added, giving a small bow. "No need to show me out," the gent called, ducking out of the tent and leaving behind four confused performers and one bewildered doctor.

* * *

**Short chapter! **

**I figure I should let you guys in on something - I start school on August eleventh. And as luck has it, I have a test on the first day that I have to study for. I'm also a bit nervous, because it'll be my first time going to a public school - I've been homeschooled/private schooled for most of my life. Wish me luck!**

**So chapters might be a bit slower from now on. Just a bit of a warning! **

**Anyway, see you in chapter 10! (Wow, we're quite far along now...)**


	10. Chapter 10

For the life of her, Evelyn could not sleep.

A mixture of things kept her awake as she lay in bed - the excitement of the day (_The man traipsed right up to a bloody tiger! _Evelyn thought half-excitedly, her heart beating loudly in her chest as she thought of what could have happened.) The adrenaline filling her body from shock at Joker hiring the black-clad gentleman on the spot. The fact that she just _could not _find a comfortable way to sleep. And then...

There were the eyes.

The gentleman's eyes glowed in her brain, sending a chill of fear running down Evelyn's spine. _Red eyes, _she thought. _I've seen lavender, emerald green, even gray - but never red. _The man's eyes thoroughly scared her, popping up in her mind every time she closed her eyes. The color was simply unnatural - unlike anything the illusionist had ever seen.

It scared her.

Evelyn huffed loudly, flipping onto her stomach and burying her head in her pillow, feeling vulnerable in the darkness. _The way he looked at me... _she recalled, the butler's intrigued face slipping into her brain. _It was almost as if he..._

_Recognized me..._

Evelyn shot up from her bed, feeling more frightened than before as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, sliding her un-bandaged foot into a slipper and grabbing her crutch. Steadying herself on her feet, she hobbled out of her tent, making her way quickly and quietly towards another in the light of the moon. Noiselessly she crept into the tent, slowly and cautiously laying her crutch against a night table and slunk into the bed.

"Mm..." her sleeping partner yawned, sleepily opening his eyes. "Evelyn, wha's wrong...?" Joker mumbled, rubbing his eye with his non-skeletal hand.

"Couldn't sleep," Evelyn replied softly, edging forward and pecking the ringleader on the nose. He smiled tiredly, opening up his arms and allowing the girl to curl up close to him. "And... well, that gent from earlier is quite unsettling, to be honest... 'specially the eyes..." She muttered drowsily. Joker chuckled quietly, leaning down and placing his lips atop her head.

"Well, you've got me now, so get some sleep, a'right?" Joker mumbled, wrapping his arms around the illusionist. Nodding, Evelyn closed her eyes, falling asleep in the man's warm embrace.

* * *

"What a lovely little tacker! A boy, I reckon?"

Evelyn peeked over Joker's shoulder as he spoke, looking down at the small, skinny boy standing timidly in front of them. He couldn't have been more than thirteen - with dark gray hair and an eye patch, Evelyn could safely say this was the most depressed-looking child she'd ever seen. Something akin to pure, sour sorrow radiated off of the boy, and Evelyn nearly flinched at the dullness in his voice as he replied.

"Yes, I've been in service as a pageboy," He replied, briskly and clearly in an authoritative tone. "My name is...er... F-Finnian." Evelyn stared the boy down as he spoke, noticing the small hesitation in his tone. _Wonder what that's about, stuttering over your own name, _she wondered, smoothing her skirt and giving the child a kind smile.

"That's an imposing name!" Joker said, stepping towards the child and putting his hands on his own hips. "Well, I'll give you a stage name if y'pass." He allowed a small grin to make itself home on his face, before leaning in close with a serious expression. "Are you a boy, though?" He asked sternly. The child looked confused as he answered with a swift 'yes.'

"But just being adorable won't see y'through a circus," Joker announced, as women began to crowd towards the black-clad gentleman from the day before. "We must do tricks, too. What's your specialty?"

"Well..." The boy thought for a moment. "...Darts, I suppose." _Just like me, what a cute little one, _Evelyn thought to herself, chuckling. Joker hummed and hawed for a moment.

"That'll be knife-throwing, then," Joker decided, turning to Dagger, who was talking with Doll. "Dagger!" He called, catching the attention of the first tier. "Give him some knives." Dagger immediately complied, pulling a few out of his belt and dropping them into the child's hands. _Polite, _Evelyn noted, as the boy muttered a grateful thank-you.

"Now aim for the target!" Joker grinned, pointing at a target much too far away. Evelyn immediately felt bad for the kid - nobody but Dagger could hit a target that far away. Hobbling her way to Joker's side, she watched curiously as the child aimed. _  
_

"You're a mean one, sir, his skinny arms couldn't even throw far enough!" Dagger muttered to the ringleader, snickering.

"I am not!" Joker said defensively. "It's no show if the target's nearby, is it?" Evelyn nodded in agreement.

"Lord, that kid's taking a while to aim," She muttered to the first tiers, causing them to laugh as the boy finally threw the knife. It spun wildly in the air, aiming straight for the ground.

"See? I knew i-" Dagger began, before screeching in disbelief. All three of the first tiers shrieked "Blimey!" as the knife slammed into the target, right on point. Other performers gasped and cheered, an air of excitement coming over the crowd as the child kept throwing the knives. Every single one darted into place, loud thunks coming from the target as they hit. Evelyn stood there, her mouth agape in disbelief, as the child gestured to the target.

"Will that be all?" He asked simply, a triumphant look crossing his face.

"Well, that's fine control!" Joker said, looking impressed. Dagger looked back and forth from the target to Evelyn, his mouth opening and closing in bewilderment as he gaped. The knife-thrower rushed towards the target, examining it closely as Joker continued. "You're more talented than I reckoned, but the test isn't over yet!" A sly look came over the ringleader's face. "Next is..." He trailed off, beginning to lead the black-clad gentleman and the boy towards the training tent.

"...Tightrope walking!"

Joker gestured upwards with his bony hand, as Doll took the boy's hand and began to lead him up to the top of a landing. She began to tie rope around him tightly, Finnian coughing and wheezing as she squeezed the air out of him with the support. The pageboy began to protest loudly, arguing back and forth with Joker until he gave up, starting to walk across the rope as Dagger made concerned noises.

Evelyn leaned on her crutch, gazing up at the boy in worry. _What if he falls? What if the rope breaks? _She wondered, multiple scenarios flooding her mind. Reaching down, she took Joker's hand, squeezing it tightly and giving him a scared look. The ringleader smiled back down at her, shaking his head and looking back up to the pageboy.

Finnian seemed to be alright for the most part, Evelyn noted - He walked slowly and carefully, his arms thrown out to help him balance. He did fine until he got a quarter of the way through - he wobbled, and with a sinking feeling Evelyn watched as the pageboy began to fall.

With small grunts, he regained his balance, to Evelyn's surprise. "He... regained his balance?" She questioned, sounded confused. The boy mumbled something angrily as he began to walk again, grunting and yelling as he walked along. _Throwing a tantrum? Really? _She thought, rolling her eyes as Finnian carried on until the end of the rope, reaching the landing and scurrying down the ladder._  
_

Joker began to clap as Finnian approached, the boy rubbing his side with a disgruntled look on his face. "Amazing!" Joker praised. "I didn't reckon you'd make it across!" The pageboy looked grumpy as he glared up at the redhead, mumbling his thanks.

"This cutie passes then, eh, Joker?" Dagger grinned, slinging an arm around the boy and looking to his superior.

"Not yet!" Evelyn jumped a foot in the air as Joker spoke sharply, losing her crutch - and her balance - at the snappish remark. She fell backwards, only to land in the arms of - _oh, great._

The black-clad butler.

He smiled slyly, helping her back to her feet and handing her the crutch as she grumbled her gratitude, turning away to watch as Joker walked towards the boy, who looked awfully nervous. "There's something important you're missing," Joker said solemnly. Evelyn nearly laughed as the boy looked halfway frightened.

"A great... big..." Joker leaned in, giving Finnian a dazzling smile. "Smile!"

"Wha-?" Finnian looked practically affronted as the man began to coax him, the pageboy's partner beginning to shake with laughter in the background.

"Come, come. Smile!" Joker dragged out the last word, grinning himself when the boy finally smiled. _Oh, he looks quite nice when he smiles, Finnian... _Evelyn grinned, nodding her approval at the child. Finnian gave her a strange look, his eyes lingering on her bruises and casts as she laughed.

"See something you like, Finnian?" Evelyn joked, unsteadily walking herself over and patting the boy on the shoulder as he began to stammer out an apology. "Please, you're fine! People are bound to look, so have a gander at the bandages if you like," She laughed. The boy looked away, seemingly angry.

"Everybody!" Joker called, as all the performers gathered, Evelyn hobbling over to join them. "We have some new mates joining us!" The ringleader announced, gesturing towards the newcomers. "This is Black..." He turned to the butler, who greeted the performers with a cheery smile. "And the wee one here is Smile!" Finnian looked as if he were about to explode.

"Smi-?" He stuttered, looking panicked. Black grinned, and leaned down to the pageboy's ear, muttering something. "P-p-pleased to meet you," Smile said lamely, looking down as soon as he said it. The performers began to scatter as Joker turned to the pair.

"Well, Black, Smile, shall I give you a tour?" He asked energetically. The ringleader turned to Evelyn. "Will you be coming along?"

"Oh, no," the illusionist declined. Evelyn gave a weak smile. "Leg's hurting a bit, I think I'm going to go see Doc," She informed him. Joker looked sympathetic for a moment.

"Oh, alright," He said. "Get on your way to feelin' better! We need you as an act!" Joker laughed, leaning over and pecking the girl on the cheek as she blushed slightly, nodding and excusing herself.

_So we have a depressed knife-thrower and a jack-of-all-trades, _Evelyn mused as she staggered away. _This should turn out to be interesting._

* * *

**New chapter! Everybody scream in delight!**

**I'm absolutely terrified - I start at a new school in six days, can you believe that? Oh, this should be a nice trip... **

**As it turns out, I'm busier than I thought, because I failed to notice that instead of two summer assignments - I have three. Oops. My bad. So I have to do the third one, and study for my AP test, all while sick because I can't seem to keep myself well this summer. **

**Anyway, here's chapter 10! See you in the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

_"Always look on the sunny side,_

_And though life chequered be..._

_A gladsome heart bids care depart, _

_And time flies pleasantly..."_

A sweet voice pierced loudly through the afternoon air, filled with cheer as its owner marched happily through the tents of the fairground. Evelyn was running - _running! _- with neither a cast on her leg or crutch attached to her arm as she rushed unsteadily towards the first tier tents. Earlier that day, she had gone to see Doc about getting the cast on her leg changed, and upon taking off the wretched mold the frizzy-haired man had asked if the illusionist had felt any pain. With a short examination and a small, flustered laugh, Doc had exclaimed "Well! Looks like I was wrong - your leg wasn't broken in the fall from the carriage. Just very, very sore." and whisked her cast away, proclaiming that her leg was absolutely fine. _Well, my arm may still be out of commission, _Evelyn thought, practically bouncing with excitement as she headed towards a certain ringleader's tent, _but at least my leg is free! _

Her song dying down to a spot of humming, Evelyn knocked on the tent's support pole before pulling the entrance flap towards the side, calling out "Joker! Would you believe it, my leg's alri-" before stopping short at the sight of an empty tent. "Joker?" She called, ducking under the entrance and standing up tall inside the tent, looking around and seeming bewildered.

"Well, guess he's not here then..." She sighed, beginning to turn. A flash of white caught her eye as she rotated, causing her to stop and wander over to it. To Evelyn's confusion, there sat a letter on the ringleader's bed, its elegant wax seal broken and crumbling onto the sheets. "What...?" Evelyn wondered aloud, picking the paper up and flipping the envelope around, reading the name etched onto the back in spidery script. "Tom, the piper's son," she read, becoming more confused by the minute. Feeling a bit guilty, Evelyn pulled the letter from the envelope, raising it to her face to read it in its entirety.

_Tom -_

_It is in my highest hopes - and utmost certainty - that this letter will find you healthy and well. I can't say the same for your brothers and sisters, seeing as they never seem to visit - but you're a good boy, the dutiful piper. I know you wouldn't dare to leave a poor man lonely._

_The reason of my calling is that we - mainly, Noah's Ark - have run into a... small problem. Nothing too serious, no, but an important issue nonetheless._

_You see, we haven't got quite enough 'sweets' for the next show. _

_I'm counting on you to be ever obedient and fetch them - one would do perfectly. Please carry out this task as soon as it is convenient - and by convenient, I mean as soon as you get a spare minute to breathe. You wouldn't disobey me, would you? I know you'll do well._

_Over the hills and far away, - Father_

Puzzled, Evelyn reread the letter over and over again. _Why is it so important that we have enough candy...? _She pondered, placing the letter back in its envelope and setting it onto the sheets once again, quickly making her way out of the ringleader's tent and towards her own. Snatching up a small coin purse from one of her spare drawers, the illusionist placed a small pin in her hair, smoothing out her dress to make herself presentable for a day in the city. _I'm sure the others are busy - I'll go get the sweets myself. Maybe even get myself a treat, _the girl thought giddily, her boots sending up small clouds of dust as she strode quickly towards the entrance to the fairgrounds. _Can't be unprepared for a show._

Strolling towards the makeshift stables, Evelyn led a horse out from the holding area, gripping the reins tightly in one hand as she guided the creature towards the entrance. Clumsily hoisting herself onto the animal, Evelyn prepared to kick off, ready to go pick up the treats, as an amused voice sounded from behind her.

"Miss Illusion, what _are _you doing?" A silky-smooth voice drifted towards her, and as she turned, Evelyn saw Black standing a ways off from the horse, a trademark smirk on his face. Sighing loudly, while wishing she had left sooner, Evelyn glanced back at the ex-butler.

"Heading into the city," she replied haughtily, turning back to face the open gate in front of her, patting the horse softly atop the head. "Saw a letter that said we need more sweets for the main event. I decided I would go get them, considering that I'm not all too busy at the moment." As she looked back, Evelyn swore Black's face piqued in interest, uncertainty filling her mind as Black's expression retained its normal look.

"I see. Well, I wish you the best of luck on your trip, Miss Illusion," Black smiled after a long silence, his expession showing a coy look that greatly unsettled Evelyn as the performer turned away, quickly strolling off as Evelyn shook her head.

"What a strange man," she mumbled in distaste, tapping the horse with her heels and heading into the city.

* * *

Evelyn could hear hushed, disgusted mutters as she neared the back of the training tent, having finally arrived back from her trip to the city. Armed with packages of Funtom chocolates and lollipops, the illusionist unwrapped a strawberry candy and lifted it to her mouth, sucking on the sweet as she pushed the entrance flap to the side.

"...aren't enough sweets for the main event, we'll do it tonight," She heard Joker say in a low tone as she walked in. Pulling the lollipop from her mouth, Evelyn looked around at the depressed, darkened faces of her fellow first tiers, a small frown pulling at her lips. "Tell Dagger and Doll for me," Joker began, turning to exit the tent, stopping as he caught sight of Evelyn.

Evelyn felt a wave of fear prickle across her skin as Joker's face reverted to the expression he'd had in the medical tent - deadly, murderous, and practically feral. Evelyn stepped back, pulling the Funtom packages out from behind her back as she did so. "Not a problem...?" She said uncertainly, holding the candies out with a confused look on her face, feeling a bit scared. "I just went out and got some more sweets, I heard we were running low... If it's a problem I'll set them in storage..." The illusionist trailed off, as the first tiers stared at her.

"T-thank you, Evelyn!" A forced, falsely cheery voice caught her attention. Beast gritted her teeth, pushing out a smile as she went and took the candies from Evelyn's arms. "Just what we needed. You're a right life-saver," The tamer lied, turning and setting the packages to the side. Joker's face went blank for a moment, before he smiled, stepping over to the performer.

"Oh, thank you, Evelyn. You're a sweet, yerself," He chuckled, throwing an arm around the bewildered illusionist's shoulders. "Oh, did you get that bandage off? Wonderful! Now you can perform again," The ringleader grinned, leaning down and pressing his lips to her temple. Evelyn blushed, smiling happily.

"Not a problem," She laughed, unwinding herself from the man's arms. "Suppose I'll see you all later, then - I'm going to train with Dagger and Smile. Need to loosen up for the next performance," Evelyn smiled, heading towards the front of the tent and feeling joyful.

_Still, though... _her mind wandered as she greeted Dagger, looking up at the practicing performers as she let out a small sigh. _It seems strange how shocked they all looked. And Beast... why would she be so kind? I thought she still hated me..._

Shrugging, Evelyn climbed the ladder up to the Flying Blanco platforms, magicking herself onto the trapeze in a small burst of purple smoke.

* * *

**Oh. My. God.**

**First off, let me apologize for the lack of update for quite some while. School started, and... well, it didn't start off nicely.**

**Let's just say the first day ended with me bursting into tears and I haven't been all that happy since. Did find some new friends, though. That's nice. And I did pretty well on my AP test. So that's good, too!**

**Anyway, WE'RE BACK! And just in time for episode 7 to air! Oh, I've been waiting so long to write again.**

**See you in chapter twelve!**


	12. Chapter 12

"_Wendy!_" A loud thud from backstage caught the Noah's Ark crew's attention, accompanied by a panicked shout.

Evelyn, who had been adjusting the lavender ribbons threaded throughout her hair, jolted as the yell echoed through the tent. There was a momentary pause as the other performers in the room fell silent, all eyes flitting towards the middle of the area before all hell let loose.

There sat Wendy, clutching her leg to her body as Peter knelt down beside her on the floor, looking stricken. The girl's face contorted into an expression of pain as she struggled to her feet, collapsing against her brother as her leg buckled beneath her. Murmurs of "What happened? Did she break her leg?" floated throughout the pandemonium as all the performers rushed forwards, all trying to help in some way. A boy in a tight leotard offered a bag of ice, while two twin aerial dancers suggested that they carry the girl, as others all offered their opinions in some way. The commotion died down as Joker pushed through, the redhead kneeling in front of the teary-eyed trapeze artist as Evelyn shoved her way through the second stringers.

"Wendy," she said breathlessly, skidding to a halt in front of the child and leaning down. "Are you alright? What happened?" Evelyn demanded, looking over the girl in concern. The small girl opened her mouth to speak as a bell chimed in the distance.

"It's seven forty-five... We're supposed to be on in five minutes," Peter said desperately, eyeing his sister's slowly swelling ankle. "She can't perform, not like this!" He snapped, stress overtaking the small boy.

Ushering the trapeze artist onto his back, Joker stood up, grunting slightly under the child's weight. "I'm taking her to Doc," he announced, as all eyes flicked towards him. The ringleader looked to Dagger, who had run up behind him and was practically shaking with worry. "Dagger, try an' find a replacement for their act. I'll be back soon!" He promised, before rushing out of the tent.

A moment of silence followed as the performers wondered what to do, before Evelyn straightened up, clapping her hands together. "We've had a bit of a setback, but the show must go on!" She barked, whipping around and jogging towards the entrance to the stage. "Dagger, you work on getting those replacements - I'll carry on for a while. Improv," She noted, before snapping her fingers and disappearing onto the stage, ideas and illusions flooding her mind as she appeared on the trapeze to the delight of a roaring crowd.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," Evelyn stared at the scene before her, feeling bewildered, angry, and hopeless all at once.

Up on the trapeze swung Suit and Black, the two looking exceptionally irritated at each other as they moved back and forth on the two poles. "What are those two doing?" Beast huffed, staring up at the two with a hand on her hip. Looking ruffled, she started forward, only for a small snap to grasp her attention. With a gasp, she turned her head, looking down at the free-floating, torn strings hanging from her back. "My strings-" Beast began, as Evelyn looked worriedly to Doll.

"M-miss!" Dagger stammered, gasping loudly. "Please go change - we've got time before the encore." The blond pleaded, giving the woman a light push as she sighed. "I suppose I'd better," she griped, grabbing a spare cloak and wrapping it around her shoulders. With a shake of her head, Evelyn turned to look up at the replacement trapeze artists, only for exasperation to quickly switch to bewilderment as Black's expression caught her eye.

The man actually looked panicked for once, as his lips moved to mutter something unintelligible, his face turned towards the sight of the animal tamer leaving. Quickly he whipped his head back towards Suit, thrusting out his hands and yelling. "Stop this nonsense and put out your hands!" He shouted, as Suit raised a strange pole he carried.

"I told you-" The stern-looking man roared back, pushing the pole - now identified as a weapon - towards Black. "Never!"

The two went back and forth for a moment before a sly look came across Black's face. The darkly-dressed man grasped the pole, pulling Suit off the trapeze with a mighty yank as the crowd gasped, a fearful noise that made Evelyn flinch. "Look out!" Dagger yelled furiously as Suit clicked a button on the pole, kicking off of a support beam and flying back at Black. Another smirk played on the red-eyed man's face, as he swung the pole back -

_- And let go._

Evelyn almost shrieked alongside the crowd as the two men went flying, her heart beating wildly in her chest as each landed perfectly upon the two platforms. "Oh... my god," She muttered breathlessly, placing a hand over her heart as the audience screamed with excitement. "Never let them perform again," she mumbled to Dagger, who shook his head.

"What're y'talking about? They're great!" The knife-thrower grinned excitedly as Black neared the backstage. "Oi, Black, good j- wha-?" The blond asked, looking confused as the man hurried past with a sharp look in his eye, not even stopping to acknowledge the first tier.

"Wonder what that was about?" Evelyn wondered aloud, as Doll shrugged.

"Who knows? Let's not get preoccupied - it's time for the encore," the tightrope-walker said, adjusting her headpiece as she started towards the platforms.

* * *

"So Black throws the bloody man back, and I swear, he must've pissed himself!" Evelyn choked out, her eyes raw with streaming tears of laughter as the other first tiers erupted around her.

The group of eight was gathered by a small bonfire, passing food around as they relaxed in the late hours after the show. Show nights were often like that - the first tiers would all meet by a fire, collapsing next to each other and recounting funny stories of the hours beforehand. Evelyn was busy telling the others of Black and Suit's performance, causing fits of giggles to come from the other entertainers who had been too busy to witness the pandemonium.

"Black must've been shaken, too - rushed right out after the performance, didn't even stop to breathe!" Dagger chimed in, a contagious grin at home on his face. Evelyn's face hurt from smiling as she plucked an apple out of a small basket by her feet, a loud crunch echoing through the chilly night air as she bit into it.

"I love nights like these," Evelyn grinned, speaking between bites. "It's so nice to relax with you all." She smiled fully, before the look was replaced with a thoughtful expression. "Well, not all... where's Snake?" At her question, Doll - de-costumed and now known as 'Freckles' - looked around curiously.

"You're right, where _is _he?" She asked, looking back and forth from the other circus members. "He usually joins us-"

"He was getting some peculiar information from us..." a quiet, unintentionally silly voice cut in. "...Says Emily." Snake finished as he came to stand in front of the bonfire, the light dancing across his dull, expressionless features. All eyes came to rest on him as his snakes slithered to and fro on his shoulders, hissing quietly. "I saw Black and Smile in the first tier tents, I did!" Snake exclaimed in a comical tone, before reverting back to his own. "...Says Emily."

Joker looked alarmed. "What?!" He asked sharply. "Black and Smile snuck in? What were they after?" He demanded. Evelyn shrunk back, looking uneasy - at the news or the dangerous tone in Joker's voice, she couldn't tell.

"That, I don't know." Snake replied. "...Says Wordsworth." Peter looked skeptical.

"Can you _really _talk with snakes?" He asked suspiciously, not quite believing the white-haired boy's words.

"Do you doubt me, you simpleton?" Snake bit back. "Says Wordsworth," He added, looking uninterested.

"Why didn't you say so before?" Joker wondered aloud, resting his chin in his palm. The snake circling Snake's shoulders hissed vehemently.

"See? I told you to report it straightaway!" Snake said, glancing towards the open-jawed creature that hissed next to his face. "Says Emily."

Joker thought for a moment, then sighed. "Well, nevermind. Thank ye, and off to bed now." He muttered absentmindedly, as other first tiers began to leave. Confused, Evelyn sat, rooted to her spot in bewilderment, going seemingly unnoticed by the other first tiers. "...I reckon they might know," Joker said abruptly, scowling. "That _fool, _Doll..."

"Doll's such a little twerp! I told you we shouldn'ta brung her!" Peter snapped, looking aggravated. Feeling rather angry, herself, Evelyn jumped in.

"Excuse me?" She retorted, causing Joker and Peter to jolt, whipping towards her in shock. _Did they forget I was here? _Evelyn wondered, before continuing. "I don't know what the_ fuck _your deal is, but she's a young girl! She makes mistakes! I don't even know what she did but you don't have to talk about her behind her back! What does she even have to do with Black and Smile?" She ranted, stopping short at the look Joker and Peter gave each other.

"Go to bed," Peter said abruptly, glaring at the illusionist. "This doesn't concern you."

"I'm sorry, but does it concern you, either?" Evelyn snorted, finally breaking. "I'm tired of nothing being 'concerned' with me! I'm a part of this place too, and while I might not be as important, I still have a right to defend Doll and know what we're talking about! I-" She stood up angrily, stopping her ramble as Jumbo placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Illusion," he said, his calm, rumbling voice causing some of her rage to die down. "It really doesn't concern you. You wouldn't like it. Please don't pry."

"No, she deserves to know." Joker finally cut in, his violet eyes downcast as he slid his hands over his hair, sighing quietly. Peter stared at him in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing but with no sound coming out. Finally the boy pulled himself together, looking exasperated and furious at the same time.

"Are you serious? You know what it means if this all goes wrong, right?" He asked, sounding incredulous. The redheaded ringleader's eyes flitted towards him, looking tired and weary.

"Of course I do - but really, she needs to know. Y'know as well as anyone that 'm tired of acting innocent and lying, especially to her." A moment of silence followed, as Jumbo, Peter, and Joker all looked to one another, before the redhead launched into a series of reasons, explanations, and unearthed truths. Evelyn listened without saying a word as the ringleader talked, telling of a man named "Father" and what they had to do to pay him back for his kindness.

"So, y'see, we _have _to. This is our livelihood, Evelyn. We've built up so much, we can't let a single mistake tear it all down." Joker finished, watching the illusionist closely as she stared blankly into the fire, wondering how on earth she'd gotten herself into the mess. The group of four sat in silence as Evelyn unclasped her hands, heaved a great sigh, and looked up, taking a bottle of wine leftover from the earlier dinner into her hands as she spoke.

"I can't back out now, can I?" She ran her fingers through her hair, exhaling slowly. "I don't like it, and I can see you don't, either. I'll do whatever I can to pay you back in kind for all you've done for me, but I'll let you know now - I will never, _ever _become used to it." And with that, Evelyn grasped the wine tightly, pulling out the cork and downing half of the bottle, allowing the drink to melt her troubles away.

* * *

**And she's finally told!**

**Evelyn's reply really just speaks for itself. She doesn't like what the troupe does, but realizes that they don't, either - so she hesitantly agrees to help them with whatever she can, but she'll never condone it. **

**Sorry for the wait on the chapter. It took me a long while to figure out where I was going with this one, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I did have some help from a friend with the process of figuring out how Evelyn's told about the kidnappings! Thanks, VampireSiren!**

**See you in chapter 13!**


	13. Chapter 13

"You're what?"

Evelyn stared at the ringleader in disbelief, not quite believing what had just reached her ears. Joker, adorned in a braided scarf and a deep purple cloak, met her eyes and nodded seriously. "I think it's for th'best," He said briskly, straightening his scarf around his shoulders. "Considering everything that's happened as of late, I'm a bit obligated t'do it. I'll miss you," He told her, leaning down and pecking her on the cheek. Looking sad, Evelyn stayed silent for a moment, before a thought crossed her mind.

"Why don't I go with you?" She suggested, clasping his gloved hand. "Since I know about the... secret, it's only fair that I get to meet this "Father" fellow, eh?" Joker considered her offer for a moment, before shaking his head.

"No," he replied, kindly but firmly. "Not a good idea. Just leave it be, Evelyn."

"How about I rephrase that?" Evelyn smiled slyly, dropping the redhead's hand. "I'm coming with you," she repeated, with an air of finality. "Besides," she added. "I won't get anything done while you're gone - you'll be on my mind the whole time." Joker studied her face for a moment before sighing heavily, and running his skeletal fingers through his hair.

"Well, guess I can't say no to that, now, can I?" The ringleader smiled softly. "Alright, then - go get yerself a cloak. It'll be chilly, so dress warm," he told her, grabbing her hand and pulling the illusionist to her feet. "I'm goin' to say goodbye to the others, I'll meet you at the front gate." Evelyn smiled, leaning up and brushing her lips against his before departing.

Quickly she hurried to her tent, pulling an old, emerald green cloak from the recesses of her wardrobe. Pulling a pair of thin, black gloves onto her hands, she tied the cloak's strings around her neck, straightening the fabric out and emerging from her tent within minutes. "Oh!" Evelyn gasped, knocking her palm against her head and turning to head towards the second tier tents. "Need to say goodbye to Freckles..." she muttered to herself, taking a shortcut between tents to shorten her travel time.

"...Know we can make a living!" Beast's voice echoed from the corner.

Stopping short, Evelyn looked around curiously, before stepping over to a row of tents. Hiding in the folds of the fabric, Evelyn was met by the sight of Beast and Joker standing a little ways apart from each other, looking at each other in a way that Evelyn couldn't identify. Curiously she stayed rooted to her hiding spot, listening to the pair's conversation.

"So let's wash our hands of this," Beast said earnestly, walking towards the ringleader with her hands outstretched. "Run someplace where Father can't touch us!" The black-haired beauty sounded desperate as she finished. Joker observed the woman for a moment, before chuckling quietly.

"Over the hills and far away, eh?" He asked, sounding amused for only a second before his face hardened. "We can't. And I ain't got no time to talk about it." He sighed, turning and beginning to walk away.

"Wait!" An anguished cry came from the woman's mouth as she jumped forward, wrapping her arms around Joker's waist. The redhead looked surprised, then smiled, looking bitter.

"You alright? This isn't like ye," Joker shook his head, looking... pleased? Evelyn couldn't tell. "Didn't we decide together?" He asked, piquing Evelyn's interest. "We said we'd do whatever it takes to protect what's dear to us." He said firmly, with an air of finality. The animal tamer's grip on the man visibly tightened.

"But..." She said, sounding close to tears. "I can't stand to watch you suffer anymore! B-because I...!" Evelyn felt sick to her stomach as she backed away from the scene, feeling warm, jealous tears beginning to prick her eyes as she turned on her heels. She began to run, somewhere, anywhere, just to get away from the two, feeling nauseous as her feet pounded against the cold, hard ground.

"Ow!" She yelped, getting knocked onto her behind as she slammed into something rock hard. Shaking her head, Evelyn looked up, seeing the inquisitive face of Black peering down at her. A small frown on his face, he held out a white-gloved hand, pulling the illusionist to her feet.

"Miss Illusion, whatever's the matter?" He asked, producing a silken handkerchief from his coat pocket and offering it to the woman. Taking it, she gripped it tightly in her hand, staring at the fabric and willing herself not to cry. "A young woman such as yourself shouldn't have any reason to be upset," he continued, smirking mischievously. "Nor should she be tearing through the fairgrounds at such a late hour."

"...Suppose you're right," Evelyn sniffed quietly, using the handkerchief to scrub furiously at her face. Black looked confused for a moment, before his face slid back into his regular, cool demeanor.

"My, no snappy response? You must be quite upset," Black noted, taking the handkerchief back from the girl and placing it on a nearby crate with a grimace. Gritting her teeth, Evelyn composed herself, straightening her shoulders and smoothing out her skirt.

"Yes, well, that may be - but it's none of your business," She replied swiftly, smoothing back her hair as the sound of footsteps neared them. A nasty thought struck the illusionist at that moment, anger bubbling through her as her face dawned with realization. Turning to Black, she gave the tall man a sweet smile, reaching up to his neck and undoing the ribbon around his collar.

"Pardon me-?" Black began to ask, looking rather intrigued. Evelyn retied the ribbon into a bow as Joker came into view, patting the finished product and clipping a tiny skull back onto it as a finishing touch. Looking rather pleased with herself, Evelyn tilted her head slightly and gave the second stringer a dazzling smile, stepping back to survey her work.

"Well, we can't have your bow looking messy, now can we?" She asked, satisfaction filling her heart as she noticed the look of disbelief crossing the redheaded ringleader's face out of the corner of her eye. "Looks fine now. You're welcome," Evelyn added cheerily, stepping back and turning on her heel, feigning surprise as she saw Joker standing in front of her. "Oh, are you ready to go? I was at the front gate a bit ago, but I realized I hadn't said goodbye to some friends, so I came back around."

In false gratitude, Black gave the woman a smirk, placing a hand over his heart and bowing slightly. "Thank you, Miss Illusion. I _was _having trouble with that." He said, before turning and heading in the opposite direction. Evelyn watched the black-clad gentleman leave, before turning and passing Joker to get to the front entrance.

"Evelyn!" Joker's sharp voice followed her, as he sprinted towards the woman, hurrying alongside her. "What was - he - what the hell are you playing at?" He sputtered out, his cheeks a deep shade of red.

"The same game as you and Beast," Evelyn countered, huffing slightly and coming to an abrupt stop, crossing her arms. Joker came to a stop in front of her, staring down at her with a look of incredulity.

"...What are you talking about?" He asked, his voice filled with such confusion that Evelyn faltered. "What game?" He asked, sounding frustrated.

"Like you don't know!" Evelyn burst out, sounding close to tears. "Her holding you tight, saying that she loves you - I just-" The illusionist's voice cracked as she spoke, causing her to go silent, for fear of beginning to cry. She ducked her head, staring at her feet and trying to pull herself back together.

"Oh..." Joker's voice dawned with comprehension. "You saw us saying goodbye, didn't you? Oh, Evelyn," He murmured, pulling the girl close to his chest. "'M so sorry, that was completely one-sided. I understand how y'could take it out of context. I told her off after that, y'know - she needs to understand that it won't happen, that it can't. But you and me, we can." He ran his gloved fingers through her dark hair, sighing heavily.

Evelyn felt horrified.

"Oh... my god..." Her breath hitched as she lay her head on the redhead's shoulder, her eyes wide as a terrible feeling settled into her stomach. "I'm... I'm so sorry!" She cried out, bursting into tears without warning, the hot liquid spilling down her cheeks and dropping onto the ringleader's cloak. Joker looked alarmed as he held the girl close, unsure of what to do. "I'm so awful! Lord above, I am so, so sorry! I reacted so badly to that, I..." She sniffed, pressing a palm to her cheek and wiping the liquid away. "I... I don't even know what to say. Let's just leave," Evelyn muttered, feeling horribly guilty as she pulled away. The redhead looked at her in concern before nodding slowly.

"...Let's go," he agreed quietly, taking the illusionist's hand and squeezing it gently, giving her a small smile as the pair headed towards the gates.

* * *

"Father, I'm home." Joker's voice echoed in the empty darkness as he pushed open the ornate doors to the front of the mansion.

Evelyn squinted into the shadows, feeling uneasy as she stuck close to the redheaded man's side. The blackness seemed to envelope the pair as they stepped inside, pressing into their skin and making the illusionist feel perturbed. Quickly Joker picked up a lantern, pulling a set of matches from a pocket and lighting the inside candle, blowing the match out with a small puff and beginning to ascend the stairs.

Coming to the end of a long hallway, Joker stopped, closing his eyes and exhaling slowly. "Pardon me, Father," he called out, pushing the white door open with a small creak as he entered. "I'm sorry for calling so late. I'd like to speak with -" He began, only to be cut off by a gravelly, weak voice.

"Oh, Joker, welcome home!" The voice said, delight obvious in its tone. "What a good lad you are, coming back so soon!" The voice praised, clearly pleased. "Now, where is he? He's with you, isn't he?" Evelyn felt momentary confusion as she stuck to the shadows, feeling more anxious by the minute as she listened to the voice. Lightning struck outside of the mansion, causing Evelyn to jolt slightly. The blue light illuminated the room for a moment, allowing the illusionist to see the form of a man, sitting in a chair, with two small figures beside him.

"Ah, n-no, not yet..." Joker stammered, sounding hesitant. The room was quiet for a moment, before the man spoke again.

"Oh, so you're a bad boy." 'Father' said, sounding less delighted than before. _He addresses Joker like a child - who is this? _Evelyn wondered, feeling bewildered. At the man's statement, the ringleader began to visibly sweat, placing his lantern on the floor with a quiet click and kneeling.

"I'm so sorry!" Joker said, sounding rather desperate as Evelyn clasped her hands, looking worriedly to her partner before bowing her head as well. "The Yard may have identified us as suspects." He said, his tone low.

"Tell me," Father said, sounding almost... bored as he placed a hand on his own knee.

"One of the new recruits apparently snuck into our tents," Joker informed, placing a skeletal hand over his heart. "We're afraid he may have seen your letter, Father." The ringleader's words struck a new type of fear into Evelyn as her heart began to race. _Letter? But I saw a letter... _She thought wildly, pressing her lips together in a thin line. "If they're with the Yard... we can't just dispose of them," he said, despair filling his voice as he stared nervously at the ground. "It would put the circus itself into danger! I always thought that pair was odd, but that child..." Joker trailed off, his eyes narrowing.

The tinkling of shattering glass caught Joker and Evelyn's attention. "Child?" Father asked, the word sounding almost dreamlike in his tone.

"Father...?" Joker asked cautiously.

"A child? Not one with an eye patch, surely?" More shattering reached Evelyn's ears as she stared in the general direction of Father's seat. She and Joker glanced at each other in alarm, and Evelyn began to wonder if coming to the mansion was such a good idea after all.

"Y-yes... He did have one..." Joker replied timidly, gripping his good hand into a fist.

"A pair, you said?" The old man sounded breathless at that point, exhilaration laced throughout his voice as he spoke.

"Yes, the other was a man in black-" Joker began, only to be cut off by Father once again.

"A boy and his butler!" Father practically shouted. Joker looked unnerved at the sound.

"He did say he'd been a butler-" Glass shattered once again as another item broke, causing Evelyn to flinch.

"It must be him! It must!" Father exclaimed. His voice rose to a shout as he looked gleefully to Joker, raising his hands as lightning struck once again outside the windows, thunder rattling the glass of the windows. "Huzzah! It's _him! _Ciel, the Earl Phantomhive!"

_Phantomhive? _Evelyn thought, very confused. She furrowed her brow, wracking her brains for the name as she struggled to remember.

_Why does that sound so familiar?_

* * *

**Another chapter!**

**If anyone's confused, let me clear it up - Evelyn saw Beast and Joker, how "friendly" they were being towards each other, and got extremely jealous - and a bit upset, seeing as how Beast's advances and Joker's reaction made the pair seem like something more. In the heat of the moment, Evelyn got extremely touchy-feely with Black, knowing full well that Joker could see. Then felt guilty about it later.**

**See you in chapter 14! (Wow, it's weird to type that - I've never gotten so far with a fanfic before.)**


	14. Chapter 14

_Why does that sound so familiar?_

Evelyn struggled to recall where she'd heard the name before, failing miserably at the task as a voice caught her attention. "Joker, who's this you've brought with you...? Oh! Beast, my dear, so good to see you..." Father smiled as it occurred to Evelyn she was still enveloped in darkness. Gulping, she stood frozen in fear, her panicked eyes flitting towards Joker's in an attempt at finding out what to do. Joker cleared his throat, before turning back to Father, opening his mouth to speak.

"That's... not Beast, Father," the redhead said slowly, as Evelyn stepped into the light of the lantern, giving a small, clumsy curtsy as she came into view. "This is..."

"Evelyn Anne Glassow... sir," Evelyn stuttered, uncertain of how to address the man. "I'm the official illusionist of Noah's Ark. I was hired about a year ago, and made my way up to the first tier..." She trailed off, clasping her hands in front of her and glancing back towards Joker.

"Glassow... yes, that's a familiar name. But, tell me, Joker..." The Baron's voice was still dangerously cheery as he directed his next question towards the redhead. "Why is she listening in on our conversation?" Evelyn swallowed, feeling a lump grow in her throat as she struggled to find an answer.

"Because she... recently found out about Noah's Ark's activities, and understands the gravity of the situation. I thought that you may want to meet your newest... supplier." Joker replied quietly, his eyes downcast as he set his lips in a thin line.

"And how did she find out?"

"I... told her, Father."

The tense silence that followed was deafening, pressing into Evelyn and making her feel nauseous. The illusionist shifted uncomfortably, feeling extremely anxious as she waited for a reaction - good, bad, she didn't care. Just something rather than silence. The girl squeezed her hands together tightly, feeling smaller by the minute under Baron Kelvin's judgmental gaze. Finally the old man cleared his throat, his eyes never leaving the young woman as he spoke. "Very well, then. Off to bed with you, child. But you, Joker, stay here."

Fearing for her loved one's safety, Evelyn exited the room, shooting one final glance at Joker before gently shutting the door, allowing two small children to lead her to a spare bedroom for the night. _It might be strange... _Evelyn thought worriedly, sitting on the edge of the guest bed and pulling off her shoes. _But somehow, I'm absolutely sure this isn't going to go well._

* * *

_"Tom, he was a piper's son..."_

Evelyn woke to a muffled, quiet voice singing singing in the morning air. Confused, as well as curious to find the source, she slowly rose, opening the door to the guest bedroom she'd been settled in and wandering into the hall.

_"He learnt to play when he was young..."_

The illusionist carefully crept towards the heart of the noise, hearing it grow louder as she reached the door across from her own. Slowly she twisted the doorknob, peering through the crack at the sight of Joker meticulously pinning back his hair. _"And all the tune that he could play, was over the hills and far away..." _He sang softly, tying a bright yellow bow around his neck and picking up a small makeup brush, dipping it into a small container of blue paint. "_Over the hills and a great way off..." _The ringleader's voice faltered as he brushed the paint into the shape of a teardrop under his eye, placing the utensil back on the vanity table and glancing towards a small photograph placed beside it.

"_The wind shall blow my top knot off..." _Joker trailed off, picking the picture up and staring down at it, looking almost... guilty as he sighed quietly. "Over the hills and far away, eh?" He wondered aloud, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Shaking his head, he picked up a book from the table, placing the photograph inside of it before pressing it shut.

"Well, I never would've thought," Evelyn said in a hushed tone, smiling sleepily at Joker as the man jumped, clearly startled. "You have a very lovely voice," she noted, padding across the wooden floors to wrap her arms around the man, leaning up and brushing her lips against his. Pulling away for air, Evelyn rested her head against his chest, feeling the warmth of the ringleader's skin against her cheek as she closed her eyes.

The two stood like that for only a moment, before Joker leaned down, mumbling quietly into the woman's ear. "We talked for quite a while last night," He muttered, reaching a hand up to play with the illusionist's tangled, unkempt morning hair. "He's anticipating the Earl Phantomhive to call on us tonight. We have to be ready." His hand dropped from Evelyn's hair to rest on her shoulder as Joker looked seriously into her eyes. Feeling rather sick to her stomach, Evelyn nodded, pulling away and straightening her nightdress as she spoke.

"Yes," she agreed, before heading into her own room, pulling on her dress from the day before and combing her hair to appear somewhat respectable. Pulling a small strap from an inside pocket of her dress, she wrapped it around her thigh, placing a small knife in the sheath it provided. Straightening up, Evelyn turned to stare at her reflection in a mirror hung on the wall facing her bed.

"We have to be ready."

* * *

"Welcome to the manor. We've been expecting you, Lord Phantomhive."

Joker's voice rang out as he pulled open one door to the mansion, Evelyn taking the other. The redheaded ringleader placed a skeletal hand over his heart, giving a steep bow as Evelyn curtsied, her green eyes never leaving the sight of the young lord.

"Joker... Illusion..." The fancily dressed boy standing in front of them replied, his voice sounding dull. Joker gave a small, bitter smile, pulling the doors open further.

"Please, come in," Evelyn said, gesturing towards the darkness inside of the mansion. Joker took the lead, the young Earl and his butler following close behind as the man snapped his fingers, the sound setting off a music box and lighting mechanism. Evelyn shivered as the music chimed through the hall. _This is too creepy, _she thought uneasily, quickly matching Joker's pace and walking alongside him as planned.

Evelyn heard the Earl give a small gasp as the room was illuminated, dolls and figurines becoming visible as the room became lit. "What is this...?" He asked, sounding thoroughly disturbed.

"This way, please," Joker said, gesturing in front of the pair and disregarding the young lord's question. The group of four walked for a while, the two performers completely silent, as the Earl Phantomhive and his butler shared a series of hushed whispers. Before long, Joker stopped, laughing quietly as a thought came to mind.

"It really is true, ye can't judge people by appearances," The redhead smiled, his eyes downcast. "A little tacker like you has the stage names 'Queen's guard dog' and 'villainous noble?'" Eventually the man's laughter died down, and he looked towards the boy, a sympathetic smile on his face. "I reckon that's hard, Smile."

The young boy's eyes narrowed as he began to speak. "I am Ciel, Earl Phantomhive. I don't tolerate _servants _speaking to me so familiarly." At that, Evelyn's eyes widened in offense, her heart filling with rage as she stepped forward, mouth open to retort. Joker threw his hand out, shushing the girl and throwing her a warning glance as he raised his hands in defeat.

"Ye be a noble, all right," was all he said before bowing slightly to the Earl. "Dinner is ready," he informed the two, turning and pulling open a set of wooden doors. _How the hell is he so calm about this? I want to kill the child! _Evelyn thought angrily, her eyes dark as she allowed the noble to pass.

Joker made a beeline towards a chair, pulling it out and allowing the Earl to sit down before heading off towards a set of doors at the end of the dining room, opening them and allowing Baron Kelvin inside. The old man sounded breathless as his eyes widened at the sight of the Earl. "L-Lord Phantomhive, you came!" He stammered, a smile growing on his face as he placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, it's like a dream, having you so close to me!" The man practically moaned, before beginning to twiddle his fingers. "I'm embarrassed to meet you, looking like this..." He said shyly, as Joker cleared a spot at the table for the man.

"You're Lord Kelvin?" Ciel asked, looking rather startled.

"That's right! Ah, that formality makes me feel a bit shy," the Baron admitted. "I've prepared a feast for you!" He grinned, picking up a small bell and ringing it. Immediately Evelyn and Joker disappeared into the kitchens, reappearing within minutes with food and wine, followed by children dressed in servant's uniforms. Joker began to pour a deep amethyst wine for the young noble, as the Baron chattered on senselessly about it, acting extremely modest.

The boy's butler took the wine into his own hand, sipping it - to test for poison, no doubt. _I don't blame him, _Evelyn thought. _If I'd known he was this much of a bastard, I definitely would have poisoned it. _Smiling slightly at her inward joke, Evelyn straightened up, listening as the Earl proclaimed that he had no interest in eating.

"Oh, I know!" The Baron practically shouted, holding an entire lobster in his fingers as he faced the young lord. "A meal without entertainment will bore you, won't it, my Lord?" He asked excitedly, as Joker visibly paled, his eyes widening. _Entertainment? But we haven't set anything up, _Evelyn wondered, looking worriedly to the redhead as the Baron turned to him. "Joker! Put on your show."

"What? B-but-" Joker protested weakly. Kelvin turned to him with a nasty look in his eye, ravenously eating the lobster in a disgusting manner.

"Just do it," the Baron grinned, chewing loudly.

Joker hesitated a moment, before bowing once more, letting out a quiet sound of agreement. Walking up to an elevated platform in the room, he spun to face his audience, twirling his decorated walking stick for emphasis before throwing his hand to the side, a bitter smile on his face. "Welcome, Lord Phantomhive! Tonight we'll take ye to a world of thrilling enchantment!" He cried, as a curtain behind him began to rise, revealing a row of costumed and masked children. Baron Kelvin began to clap excitedly at the scene, as Evelyn's breath hitched in her chest, her shocked eyes locking with Joker's for only a second before he looked away.

"First, our tightrope walker!" The ringleader announced, gesturing up towards the ceiling, where a young girl stood on a platform, holding a baton. "No safety net tonight, me lovelies! It's a bona fide-" Joker began to announce, as the girl stepped onto the rope, almost immediately falling.

In horror Evelyn watched as the girl's body slammed to the floor, blood beginning to pool from her head and leaving streaks on the floor as two other children dragged her lifeless body away. "Oh, my god!" The illusionist cried, covering her gaping mouth with a violently shaking hand as she looked to Joker, unable to believe what she had just seen. The man was slightly bent over, his face twisted into an expression of pain and guilt as he made half-sobbing noises towards the floor while the Baron laughed hysterically.

_He composed himself._

Straightening up, Joker's eyes were dark as he forced a cynical grin onto his face, spreading his arms once again as a small cage was wheeled onstage. "Next, our lion tamer!" He choked out, weakly. "Watch as he masters the savage beast!"

The lion instantly jumped on the child, chilling wet sounds coming from the animal as it tore into the young boy's flesh. Evelyn felt as if she couldn't breathe as she watched the animal strip away bits of skin, chewing noisily on them as the cage was wheeled away. Tears burned down her cheeks as she witnessed the savagery, sobs beginning to wrack her body as she watched the dreadful sight before her. All the while, Kelvin laughed maniacally, clapping wildly with wonder.

"And now," Joker announced, pointing towards a girl tied to a target. "Our knife-thrower! What will become of this maiden on the cross?" He spat out, immediately looking away as tears pricked his eyes. He covered his face as one of the children wielded a knife, then forcefully throwing it -

_-Straight at the girl's head._

Evelyn shut her eyes, hearing a yell from the Earl as she did so. "Stop him!" The young noble screamed, as Evelyn prepared to hear the sound of knife slicing flesh. The whole show was causing her to rock back and forth, painful images of her own parent's deaths intermixing with the grotesque pictures of the dead children as she suffered a mental breakdown. The room was terribly silent, unbelievably quiet - and as Evelyn slowly opened one eye, she understood why. _  
_

The boy's butler had the knife in his hands, and was looking back and forth from a small file to the girl on the target. "Elary Nixon, who went missing in Cornwall." He said briskly, closing the file and turning towards the Earl. "That settles it. Right as always, young master." He frowned. "Forcing children you abducted to perform... Yes, I suppose this is one way to enjoy the circus." Evelyn stared at the black-clad butler in disbelief, tears still streaming down her face as she slowly lowered her hands from her mouth. _How can he be so calm? _She wondered again, hugging herself tightly and feeling extremely frightened.

The Baron looked frantically back and forth from Ciel to the stage. "S-sorry!" He stuttered, looking panicked. "You didn't like this, either?" He asked worriedly, before turning to the redhead once again. "Joker! Clean up at once!" He cried, before turning back to the Earl.

"I'm done here," Earl Phantomhive snapped, hitting the table as he abruptly stood. The wine glass at his spot tipped over, spilling dark purple liquid onto the pristine tablecloth. "I'm not in the habit of sharing a table with riffraff who are lower than farm animals." He glared at the Baron, who continued to stammer out questions and apologies. Slowly he began to near the old man, his head slightly lowered as he spoke. "This will do for my report to the Queen: 'I found the foul, vulgar, unsightly, perverted brute-" His eyes glinted with rage as he came to stand in front of the Baron. "And I disposed of him." The Earl finished, and with the end of his speech came a chaotic mix of events.

The boy whipped a gun out from under his cloak, pointing it straight at the Baron, his finger settled on the trigger. This caused Joker to whip a dagger out from seemingly nowhere, pointing it straight at the child's throat, a feral look in his eyes. In retaliation the boy's butler pulled out a knife of his own, pressing the cold metal against the ringleader's throat. Evelyn immediately went for her own knife, running at the butler with the intent to kill, but as she raised her hand to bring down her weapon the butler caught her wrist in his hand, gripping it tightly and causing Evelyn to drop the blade. The group's eyes all flitted towards each other, nobody quite knowing what move to make first.

With a cry of despair, the Baron looked towards Joker, his eyes tracing his weapon from the man's hand to the boy's throat. "Joker!" He cried out in alarm. "Don't point that dangerous thing at the Earl!"

"But-" Joker began, only for the butler to smirk slyly, pressing the blade to his throat with more pressure than before.

"Do you disobey me?" The Baron shouted, causing Joker to hesitate, and slowly bring the weapon away from the boy as his butler came around to pry it from his fingers. As the butler did so, the Earl's eyes narrowed, and he pressed the barrel of the gun to the Baron's head.

"Lord Kelvin, where are the children you kidnapped?" The young noble demanded, somehow causing the Baron to grin.

"Oh, you want to meet them?" He smiled nervously, sweat falling from his skin in showers. "They're in the cellar - I'll take you there right now. There's something I want to show you down there, anyhow." The man looked undoubtedly psychotic as he spoke to the Earl.

"Take me there," was the boy's simple reply. Within moments the group was on an elevator, clattering towards the cellar as Kelvin desperately tried to make conversation with the Earl. Meanwhile, the noble's butler kept a firm grasp on Evelyn's wrists with one hand, the other still pressing his blade to Joker's throat. Fear caused Evelyn to shake, but of what, she didn't know - the prospect of having both of her wrists broken? The idea of blood spilling from her lover's throat? Maybe it was a mix of the two.

"But I'm just so happy," Kelvin rambled, casting a glance towards the young Earl. "I've been filled with regret ever since that day. I keep thinking, 'Why couldn't I be there by your side then?'"

"That day? By my side? What are you on about?" The young nobleman scrutinized the Baron, looking at him as if he was mad.

"No amount of regret can turn back time." The group stopped in front of a large set of doors, which two small children leaned on in order to open. Blindingly bright light shone in their faces as the doors opened, and the Earl made a strangled noise at the sight before him, his face going oddly blank with horror as he gazed upon the scene. "But I realized something: If we can't go back..." The Baron gleefully gestured towards the ceremonial area before him. "Then we'll just do it again!"

Earl Phantomhive began to shake as Kelvin continued. "I'm afraid it took me three years to get ready." As the Baron continued, Evelyn watched the young noble, who looked as if he was having a heart attack. His eye was wide, his mouth forming a small 'o', and his forehead beaded with sweat as he began to hyperventilate - or at least, that's what it sounded like, to Evelyn.

"Now, Lord Phantomhive - let's repeat that day three years ago!"

* * *

**Oho! It begins to get juicy!**

**Two chapters in one day? What a treat! (or possibly not - that depends on what you think of the chapters.) I've had a lot of time to write today, so I've been going at it for hours. I think I'll stop here for tonight - it's 10 o'clock where I am, and I think I'd better quit while I'm ahead. I'll be writing a lot tomorrow and Monday though, so look forward to it! (Though, that's depending if I post what I write.)**

**Anywho, see you in chapter 15!**


	15. Chapter 15

"Now, Lord Phantomhive - let's repeat that day three years ago!"

Baron Kelvin's voice echoed throughout the large room, his gravelly tone bouncing off of the concrete walls. Evelyn winced at the shout, shrinking back as best she could without the Phantomhive butler snapping her wrists. The illusionist looked over towards Joker as the Baron rambled on about the past - some nonsense about "sub rosa" lifestyles and perfection. Taking in the sight of the redhead held tight against the butler's chest made her heart race, her stomach drop with worry and dread. _What if I was right? _Evelyn thought earnestly, feeling hot tears begin to burn in her eyes as she struggled to stay quiet. _What if this all goes wrong? _At that, a cruel thought chimed inside of her mind, one that caused her stomach to churn.

_It already has._

"I've never been able to forget that pain," Kelvin continued, catching Evelyn's attention once again. "I, who gave up everything to meet you, was the only one who couldn't. Why is faith so bent on keeping us apart, I wondered? And then, on that day... they were all gone." The Baron's voice became sly as he addressed the young noble, his eyes glittering with sick delight as he spoke. "It was you who killed them, wasn't it, my Lord? Oh, how I envy them," the old man's tone became wistful as his eyes clouded over, memories long since past making themselves apparent once again. "A _beautiful _end, with the cold moon at their deathbeds... Please, make me one of them." At that, Joker looked positively distressed, his eyes widening in disbelief as he listened to the man babble.

"Look!" Kelvin cried out, raising his arms to gesture around him. "I've prepared everything just as it was then! This ritual chamber... and the lambs..." His eyes glanced briefly towards the three cages in the room, holding many dull-eyed children. "And finally, my Lord... _you!_"

A single shot rang out.

Evelyn froze, her heart hammering in her chest as she watched blood explode from the bullet's entry point in the Baron's stomach. Unable to breathe and with her mouth agape, she felt her eyes slide over to peer at Joker, who let out a tormented yell as he watched the red liquid stream from his savior's belly.

"_Father!_" The anguished cry tore from the redhead's throat, ringing in Evelyn's ears as the ringleader threw all his weight against the butler's arm, breaking free from his grip. With a stifled sob the man yanked off his skeletal hand, pulling a hidden dagger from his wrist as he shot towards the young Earl, letting loose a murderous scream.

Time seemed to stand still as the Phantomhive butler let go of Evelyn's wrists, whipping out his own blade and forcefully cutting through Joker's arm as he broke away.

"_Joker!_" Evelyn found herself screaming at the top of her lungs, her eyes widening in horror as she watched Joker's limb fall limply to the floor of the ritual chamber. The redhead's eyes widened in shock as he tripped, his body slamming to the floor as he began to shriek in agony.

"Please stay out of my Master's way," the butler said coolly as the ringleader writhed on the floor, clutching the remainder of his upper arm as he thrashed on the ground. Even then the Baron paid no attention to Joker, dropping to the floor himself and reaching towards Earl Phantomhive and breathing heavily, grasping the young boy's ankle and begging him for a preferred death. Evelyn stood frozen for only a moment before realizing she was no longer restrained, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at her suffering lover. Her mind went blank, and only one thought stood out among the mist as her eyes flitted towards the butler._  
_

_Kill._

"You... _fucking... bastard!_" Evelyn roared, launching forward against her better judgement and yanking the dagger from Joker's discarded limb, wrapping both hands around the handle as she raised it towards the back of the butler's head.

"Evelyn, _stop!_" Joker cried as she brought her hands down, her eyes widened and teeth gritted in rage, wondering only briefly why the redhead didn't want her to tear the black-clad man apart.

Her answer came in the form of a knife, digging into the flesh of Evelyn's chest and ripping downwards to rest in her stomach.

The butler gave her an irksome smirk as she stared down at her torso, watching blood quickly begin to drench the light blue fabric of her dress. Evelyn's mouth fell slightly agape as she stared at the wound, pain beginning to shoot through her body as the servant slipped the weapon out of her abdomen. A warm, sticky liquid began to pool in her mouth, and Evelyn coughed, blood streaming from the corners of her lips as she weakly fell to her knees next to the ringleader.

Unable to support herself, Evelyn's torso hit the cold, concrete floor, salty tears beginning to slip down her cheeks as she pressed her shaking hands against her wound. "Evelyn, oh, lord above..." Joker choked out, struggling for air himself as he tried to move towards the girl. Swearing loudly at his inability to protect her, the redhead turned, glaring hatefully at the butler as he pressed the bones of his prosthetic over Evelyn's wound, blood beginning to stain the ceramic, white limb.

A loud click caught the attention of both the illusionist and the ringleader, and Evelyn turned her head, her breath shallow as she hazily watched Earl Phantomhive point his pistol at Baron Kelvin's head. Joker stretched his bleeding stump towards the Earl, his eyes filled with pain and despair as he cried out to the boy. "Please, don't kill him!" He begged desperately. "Whatever else he may be, he's still our savior! Abandoned by our parents, abandoned by the state, he saved us from the daily fear of starvation! We have lots of brothers and sisters at the workhouse who are still young! They can't live without him! So-" The ringleader pleaded, only for the young Earl to interrupt.

"So that's why you kidnapped all those children? To save your own skins, you obeyed him and sacrificed others." It was more of a statement than a question. Joker stared at the boy for only a moment, before swallowing, looking guilty and full of regret as he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"That's right. England is a living _hell _for people born like us," he confessed. "We had nothing. No money for bread, no arms to shield our friends with. But Father rescued us from the streets, gave us hands and feet to protect the people we care about. That's why we decided to live. Even if another hell is waiting for us..." Joker trailed off.

"You mean, for you." The Earl's pointed statement caught the ringleader off guard.

"Wha-...?" He asked, looking utterly confused.

"For you. Not her," the Earl tossed his head towards Evelyn, whose half-lidded eyes widened in confusion. "She's done nothing, nothing the likes of you have done. Her parents, maybe. But that's why they were eradicated."

"...What?" Evelyn slurred out, looking at the Earl in befuddlement. The boy briefly glanced back at her, his eyes cold and uncaring.

"Maria and Bernard Glassow. Highly trained assassins of the nobles of London, eliminated by the Queen's guard dogs five years ago when a plan to take down one of the Queen's top advisers was set into motion. Their daughter, Evelyn Anne, kept their estate up and running for only a few months, before disappearing." The boy's butler recited, casting a slight smirk at the girl laying on the floor. Evelyn's already pale face drained, a slight shock running through her body as the information registered in her mind. _Assassins...? _Struggling to comprehend the information, Evelyn turned her head to look towards the butler in bewilderment. "Imagine our surprise when that same daughter turned up at a ratty circus, with a specialty for disappearances."

"Evelyn...?" Joker sounded strangled as he looked towards the girl, shock and confusion laced throughout his tone. The girl shook her head weakly, her eyes narrowing as she rasped at the Earl.

"That's a lie, my mother and father weren't assassins. Their deaths were heartless murders." She spat hoarsely, growing weaker with blood loss, pain throbbing throughout her abdomen. "But I reckon I deserve the same hell they do. I pledged my allegiance to them four nights ago." The Earl lowered his eyes. examining the pistol in his fingers before replying.

"Very well," he said simply, before turning towards Joker once again. "But, you aren't wrong. You fought to protect your world - what's wrong with that? In the end, 'justice' is just an official line taken by those in power to serve their own ends. No one's looking out for others. If you're careless, you'll be robbed." The boy said, with a note of finality. "There are only two kinds of people in this world. Those who steal... and those who are stolen from." The child tilted his head at the ringleader, scrutinizing the man.

"And today... I steal your futures." The phrase sent a bitter feeling streaking through Evelyn's heart. "That's all this is."

Joker stared at the bloodied floor for a while, before his shoulders began to shake. Small, quiet chuckles turned into full-fledged laughter as the ringleader flopped on his back next to Evelyn, calming down just enough to choke something out. "Yeah, you're right." He laughed, earning a strange look from the Phantomhive butler. "But guess what?" Joker asked savagely, leaning up just enough to glare viciously at the Earl. "You two will lose something precious tonight, too. The troupe is on its way to your mansion!"

In a strange wave of cruel satisfaction, Evelyn felt a smile grow on her face at the words. "How do you think we captured all those kids without being caught?" He asked, as Evelyn weakly raised her head to chime in.

"All the witnesses... disappear."

"We're pros," Joker continued. "If anyone crosses our paths on the job for any reason, we eliminate them," he hissed. "You're the target - I wonder how many will be killed while they search for you?"

"Killed?" The young noble asked, sounding almost... amused.

"Yes," Joker swiftly replied. "Everyone, even the servants."

"_My _servants?" The way Earl Phantomhive posed the question caused Evelyn's blood to run cold - and rightly so, as the butler chuckled. "Who do you take them for? Those are Phantomhive servants," the Earl said plainly. "For your sake, I hope you said goodbye." At the boy's words, the smile dropped from Evelyn's face, replaced with a look of pained dismay.

_Oh, no._

* * *

**And so it's revealed - the reason why Sebastian kept giving Evelyn strange looks!**

**I've had this planned from the beginning, the whole Evelyn's-parents-being-assassins thing. Ciel knew that she didn't know, and was unwilling to have her killed, because in his eyes, she hadn't done enough to merit it - simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time can't be a reason to kill. Evelyn understood that he was hesitant, but felt that she was in it for the long run. Hence the "same sort of hell."**

**Now, we're caught up to episode 8 in the Book of Circus series - the anime was what I was taking the storyline from. But I've actually ordered volume 7 of the Kuroshitsuji series, so you shouldn't have to wait long for another chapter! **

**Although, you may not have to wait that long, anyway, considering what I have planned... heh. :)**

**Also, a bit of news, friends! I have a poll up on my profile! I'm thinking about starting a roleplay account for a Black Butler character on Instagram, and I'm wondering which one I should try. Evelyn is not a choice because she's an OC, and I wouldn't have sufficient pictures, etc. to make a good account out of her character. If you're interested in that sort of thing, feel free to vote!**

**See you in chapter 16!**

**_Edit: Hi again, guys! I found out that I needed to clear something up._  
**

**_Evelyn's parents had set up a plan to assassinate one of the Queen's advisers, so their deaths were widely known across London, seeing as they were nobles themselves. Ciel and Sebastian, despite knowing each other for only three years, would have known this - Ciel because it was a large feat his parents had accomplished and received gratitude for, Sebastian because he's - well, Sebastian, and has to know the history of the Phantomhive cases._**

**_Evelyn's father had been trained as an assassin since his young adult years, because it had been something done in his family for ages - Bernard's family fancied themselves as a force that would rid London of corruption, and the plan to eliminate one of the Queen's advisers came about when an economic scandal presented itself and traced back to the adviser. Evelyn's mother was pulled into the mess after she married Bernard, and ended up becoming trained, herself, in order to assist him. Our illusionist's parents didn't intend to reveal their behind-the-scenes activities until she got older, and that's why she didn't know._**

**_I hope that cleared it up! After seeing a review from Mazgrl98, I realized I needed to clarify the situation. Lots of thanks to Mazgrl for notifying me about the timeline!_**


	16. Chapter 16

_Oh, no._

Evelyn felt a wave of horror wash over her as she processed the Earl's words. "Goodbye...?" she breathed, her eyes widening in fear as the phrase registered in her mind. Leaning back, she allowed the back of her head to thunk to the floor as she thought of the other first tiers.

_Dagger. Jumbo. Wendy. Peter. Doll. Snake. Beast._

_Beast._

Evelyn choked at the name, her hand clamping over her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. _Beast, _she thought, guilt and regret striking her as she felt the warm, salty drops begin to run down her face. _I was a complete bitch to her. I never said goodbye. I never apologized. _

Earl Phantomhive looked at the illusionist with an expression of disgust as he continued. "Those are the private soldiers Sebastian and I personally selected. They'll protect Phantomhive secrets and Phantomhive pride from anything." He spoke nonchalantly, as Joker made a strangled noise from the ground, his eyes slipping in and out of focus as he stared up at the Earl in dismay. "That's what makes a Phantomhive servant," the Earl finished.

"Private... soldiers...?" Joker rasped, and with a jolt Evelyn noticed that the man was beginning to shake from pain. With a groan, Evelyn reached a hand forward, digging her nails into the floor of the chamber and beginning to drag herself towards the redhead, as the young Earl spoke once more.

"Phantomhive is a shadow which exists solely to dispose of Her Majesty's worries," He replied. "Once you enter our den... you can never return to the light."

"They're pros, too! They won't be easy to-" Joker tried desperately to counter the boy's words, only to receive a ghostly smile from the butler in reply.

"You're free to believe what you like," Sebastian said pleasantly, holding up the bloodied dagger he had used to sever the ringleader's arm. "But don't forget that _I _chose them." He grinned, waving the dagger and tossing it to the ground in front of the other man.

Joker's gaze switched from the sight of the dagger, to the Baron laying lifeless on the ground, to Evelyn, who still struggled towards him with great difficulty. Finally he looked to the ground in front of him, looking utterly broken and afraid. "Please... live..." he whispered, staring at the remainder of his skeletal arm. "Even if I can't..." His voice was barely audible as he lowered his head to the ground, still staring at the fake limb. He remained that way for quite a while, before a stifled sob escaped his mouth, and immediately tears began to flood from his eyes.

Evelyn felt as if her heart was shattered as she watched Joker finally break down in front of her. Her own eyes filling with tears, she gripped his shoulder, pulling herself up beside him and draping an arm over his back as he sobbed pitifully. Pressing her face into the dirtied fabric covering his shoulder blade, she allowed her own tears to stain his shirt as she spoke quietly, hiccuping slightly as she did so. "Joker..." Evelyn whispered hoarsely, before Earl Phantomhive interrupted once again, with words that immediately sent Evelyn into a rage.

"Don't cry; it's pathetic-" He began, before the girl cut him off.

"_Fuck you!_" She screamed at the top of her lungs, forcing the remainder of her energy into the shriek as she lost herself. "You insolent, spoiled, wretched little _sack of shit, _you deserve every burn that hell's fire can give you!" She bellowed, her sharp words bursting out before she was able to stop them. The young Earl glared hatefully at her for a moment, before a quiet whisper caught both Evelyn and the child's attention.

"Smile..." Joker uttered as he raised his head, staring at the Earl with an unreadable expression - pity, possibly, shone from his red-rimmed eyes. Earl Phantomhive's blue iris narrowed as he looked condescendingly down at the ringleader.

"I only have one name, " He snapped. "and it's Ciel Phantomhive." His words sounded muffled, and with a weak start Evelyn realized she was quickly losing focus. Glimpsing down at herself, a puddle of blood steadily grew from underneath her, shining dimly in the candlelight. The gash that Sebastian had inflicted upon her ached, stabbing pains shooting through Evelyn's abdomen as a low groan escaped her lips. Gritting her teeth, the girl readied herself to retort, only for the group to be distracted by the creaking of an opening door accompanied by the squeak of a wheel.

"Sorry I'm late! I brought more!" Doc's voice echoed cheerily throughout the chamber, the squeaking of wheels stopping as he surveyed the scene, his mouth forming a small 'o' as he took in the sight. "Black and Smile? What are you doing here?" He asked curiously, sounding - and looking - oddly casual in light of the situation.

"St-stay away, Doc - they're... the Queen's guard dogs!" Joker struggled to speak, his voice shaking as he gagged, pain radiating from his bloodied stump. Evelyn's vision blurred as she stared hazily at the ringleader's bloodied arm, watching as a puddle of red began to stain the floor beneath it. In a murky, violet-tinged flurry, the girl's brain made a simple but terrifying connection -_ he's dying._

Reaching down with shaky hands, Evelyn weakly pulled at the stained, wet fabric covering her torso, feeling a strip of it come loose as she tugged, ignoring the banter of Joker and Doc in her desperation. Exposing a strip of her stomach to the humid, heavy air of the cellar chamber, she pulled the long length of fabric free, thoughts whizzing in and out of her mind in a misty haze. _Tie it off, right? That's what they do...? _Evelyn's head reeled as she used what was left of her energy to push herself off of the ground, length of torn fabric clutched tightly in hand.

Pain erupted across her stomach as she stretched out her hands, gripping the redhead's upper arm as she slipped the length of fabric above his stump. Joker cried out in agony as Evelyn yanked the piece of fabric into a knot, tying it as tightly as her shaking hands allowed. Her head spun and lights danced in her eyes as she pulled away, dropping to the floor and sobbing loudly as wave after wave of pain struck her. Yet, as the two performers writhed on the floor, Earl Phantomhive, his butler, and the Doctor failed to even notice the pair, casually speaking to one another as if there wasn't a dead man and two dying partners in the room.

"...Created what no one before me had been able to," Doc's voice broke through the stupor as he turned to the pair and strode towards them, picking up Joker's discarded skeletal hand and examining it with a loving, yet crazed, look in his eye. "The only problem with my material was that it was a touch difficult to gather." He noted, gently stroking two fingers across the knuckles.

"Yes, your prosthetics did have a lovely texture," Sebastian supplied, looking thoughtful as he glanced at the limb. "Almost like bone china..." He smirked, raising a hand to his chin.

"You can appreciate the beauty, Black?! But you're off the mark!" Doc exclaimed, opening his arms and gesturing widely around the room. "I wish you wouldn't rate my work the same as _cattle _bone china!" The words struck Evelyn as odd, even in her pained, fading stupor. _Cattle bone? But what else could he... _she wondered drowsily, feeling closer to unconsciousness every minute.

"I do recall you saying that you use special materials," Sebastian noted. The doctor looked practically ecstatic at that, spinning around the room with his arms outstretched in glee.

"That's right! Special materials I can only get _here!_" He laughed, as Earl Phantomhive looked dumbstruck. Nearing a cage, the Doc grinned, leaning on it with ease and chuckling slightly. "Saves the trouble of dumping them elsewhere. Brilliant recycling, don't you think?" He asked happily, as Joker's eyes widened with a choke.

The redhead opened his mouth and, with a horrid look crossing his face, began to scream.

The piercing, frightened noise tore through the air, jolting Evelyn back to alertness as she stared, horrified, at the man, Doc's words just then registering in her own brain as Joker began to thrash. Slamming his skeletal limb on the ground in a panic, he earnestly tried to separate himself from the wretched thing, a feral sort of fear pulsing through his body as he shrieked. Doc watched the man in his frenzied panic, only to shrug. "See? Another patient rejecting it," He sighed unhappily, pushing away from the cage.

At that, Evelyn finally broke. Pushing herself from the ground, she vomited, retching loudly as the bloodied contents of her stomach made their appearance on the chamber floor. Pushing herself away from the muck, she leaned back on the floor, beginning to shift as loud sobs wracked her body. _This whole situation is demonic, _she thought frenziedly, a mixture of pain, shock and terror coming over her in waves.

"I can't believe what we've..." Joker whispered, hot tears streaming from the corners of his eyes as he stared at the skeletal limb. Doc sighed again, smiling playfully as he held up the discarded hand, waving it slightly and letting it swing from his fingers.

"And you were so happy to have this right hand, too!" He said sadly.

"If I'd have known, I wouldn't have..." Joker rasped, his voice shaking with grief. Doc looked at him incredulously.

"You wouldn't have wanted it? Are you sure?" He asked in disbelief, causing the ringleader to make a noise of distress. After a moment, the man's violet eyes rolled back and he lowered his head in defeat, closing his heavily painted eyelids as his breathing slowed. Evelyn gazed at the man, scared, before scrambling over to him in a panic, shaking his shoulders while Doc continued his ramblings.

"Joker!" She cried out, her abdomen pulsing painfully as she rapidly pushed against the ringleader's shoulders. The man's body swayed limply under her grasp, moving far too loosely for Evelyn's liking. Swiftly (though with great difficulty) she leaned over the redhead's arm, her blood running cold at the sight of his shut eyelids. _He's just... unconscious, _she desperately tried to convince herself, shaking the man's shoulders one last time before her attention was caught by the sound of another scream.

Earl Phantomhive stood, slumped over, both his eye and mouth widened as he let loose an ear-splitting scream. He looked positively wild as he coughed, drool spilling over his fingers as he extended them to the air, looking scared to death. "Young master," Sebastian said disdainfully, sweeping over to the boy and grasping his hand tightly, pulling the boy towards him and grabbing his other hand with ease. "What's there to fear? You're outside of the cage now, my lord."

_What's there to fear? _The words echoed in Evelyn's mind, and all at once everything became clear as a tiny voice slipped into the back of her brain, chiming snidely and quietly from its place in the darkness.

_Him._

Immediately every odd feeling, every dreaded confrontation, every word spoken between the two came flooding back to her, filling her with a fear she had never experienced before. _He's to fear. _A savage desire - no, a savage _need _- to get away from the young noble and his butler occupied every ounce of Evelyn's mind, and quickly she slid her hands underneath Joker's arms, sitting up and digging her heels into the stone floor as she began to pull. An explosion of intense pain worsened every time Evelyn moved, but the instinctive desire to get away kept her from falling to the ground in defeat. Hot, angry tears streamed down her cheeks as she fought to pull the redhead away, but the shallow decline of the stone platform kept her from reaching her goal. With a loud gasp, Evelyn and Joker went down, Joker's body flopping away from the platform as Evelyn found herself hitting the hard floor of the chamber head on.

The world was quickly darkening, the light in the room flickering in Evelyn's eyes as her vision blurred, sound muffling as she found herself unwilling to move. From the corner of her eye, Evelyn noticed the dark figure of Sebastian holding his young master like a child, slowly untying the young Earl's eye patch with a devious smile on his face. The butler leaned down, whispering something into the child's ear before the worst sound in the world reached Evelyn's ears.

"Sebastian. Sebastian. _Sebastian._"

And with that, fire swept down upon the room, engulfing the chamber in one fell, deadly swoop.

* * *

**I'm just going to outright say it: episode 9 nearly gave me a panic attack.**

**I actually had to stop watching it at one point - when Joker started screaming, I lost my cool and had to pause the video. I actually stepped out of the room, got myself a drink, and chilled out for a few minutes before going and continuing to watch. That's why I love Kuroshitsuji - it's a damn amazing show, and its characters are even better.**

**So here's this chapter. All I'm going to say about this one is that you shouldn't make any assumptions. Feel free to figure out what that means. **

**See you in chapter 17!**


	17. Chapter 17

Her world was burning.

Heat caused her vision to waver, sweat to fall from her forehead in buckets. Fire licked at her heels, tore at her skin, caused her hot, bitter agony. Smoke filled her lungs, clouding them over in a humid fog and constricting her chest. A spare plank of wood fell from the ceiling, glowing embers scattering over her stomach and arms, scorching the raw, ragged skin of her belly.

_I'm going to die. _

The thought wasn't too bad; it was actually comforting, in the slightest. At least, if she died, she wouldn't have to watch him suffer. She wouldn't have to worry about the others. She wouldn't have to _care. _Everything could just turn insignificant, in the blink of an eye. The fact that the ceiling was probably about to fall down upon her? It wouldn't matter if she was gone before it collapsed. She wouldn't have to hear the cries of the children in those wretched, terrible cages. She wouldn't have to watch him burn along with her.

_Just let it happen._

Defeat. Utter defeat was what she felt. Her friends were likely dead, her stomach was clotting with dried blood and blackened burns, while her lover lay only a few feet away with flames lapping at his skin as well. The situation was hopeless. What would be the point of getting up and trying to get out?

Evelyn hadn't accepted defeat before. She'd been very near to it in the past - watching her mother and father die in front of her, laying on the cold cobblestone streets of the East End shaking with fever, getting pushed out of the carriage by Beast. She had stood tall in the face of disaster, worked to make things better, but as she lay on the floor of the ritual chamber...

Evelyn gave up.

With a great, shuddering sigh, the girl relaxed against the stone floor, taking in the sight of Joker one last time before allowing her eyelids to slip closed. Pressing them tightly together, Evelyn waited, allowing memories of the time before Black and Smile to fill her mind. Laughing at awful jokes with Dagger. Sharing food with Doll. Leaning back into Joker's arms as he stroked her face with a bony finger. All happy things, which caused a smile to grow on her face, even in the scorching heat and unbearable pain. _We were so happy._

A small, scuffing sound broke through the hiss of the flames, breaking her focus and bringing her back to reality.

Something smooth and thin wrapped around her waist, pressing tightly against her side as Evelyn felt her skin begin to scrape across the uneven floor. _I'm... moving...? _She wondered in a confused haze, her vision slipping in and out of focus as her eyes popped open, taking in the sight of the person above her. Joker, with tousled, sweaty hair falling out of its pins and half-lidded eyes, had the remainder of his prosthetic wrapped around her stomach, and was slowly moving towards a side door in the chamber, grief and pain tugging the sides of his mouth into a bitter frown.

"Joker..." Her voice was barely a whisper, hoarsely forcing its way out of her throat as her heart filled with joy. _He's alive. _The man barely acknowledged her words, grunting as he struggled to pull her over the doorway, one-armed. With her arms and legs feeling like they had been injected with lead, Evelyn dug her heel into the floor, helping to push the pair through the doorway.

As the two neared the side of the large wine cellar, Evelyn outstretched a hand, gripping a shelf filled with wine that was pushed against a wall and used it to struggle to her feet, stumbling and collapsing into it as she did so. The movement rocked the shelf precariously, and with a large crash, it fell against the floor, its contents shattering on the floor. Evelyn lost her balance, and fell against the floor next to Joker, her arms shielding her head from the mixture of wine, glass, and stone.

She lay there for what felt like an eternity, willing herself to move, thoughts mixing together in her brain as she tried to process the situation. _Wine. Glass. Shelf? Cellar. We came in an elevator platform. No way to get out. _The thought caused her to despair, a dreadful feeling resting in the pit of her stomach as she realized there was no possible way out. All hopes of escaping out of her mind, Evelyn closed her eyes once again, waiting for the ceiling of the cellar to fall.

_At least there's a nice breeze, _Evelyn thought, feeling the cool air blow on her face as the fire crackled around her. The thought didn't register for a moment, but when it did, Evelyn furrowed her brow. _Breeze? But we're in a cellar...? _Raising her heavy head, her eyes traveled from the lake of wine spreading across the floor, to the downed shelf, to where the shelf had been previously. As she turned her head in its direction, the cool air blew against her face once again, making Evelyn extremely confused. Slowly crawling forward, the girl raised a hand up to the wall, and felt the breeze blow once again.

Evelyn pushed against the wall, feeling the material give slightly under her touch. _My god, is this...? _She dared to wonder, hope crashing into her once again as she slammed a hand against the surface, a small section of the wall giving way and cracking as she hit it. With a quiet yell of surprise, Evelyn began to hit the wall, over and over, revealing a hole as the material crumbled. _Is this a passageway? _The question screamed in her mind, warning bells going off as she cleared a big enough hole for herself to climb through. Sticking an arm through the hole, she wiggled her fingers, feeling nothing but empty space.

"Joker!" She cried excitedly, her stomach seizing up with pain as she scrambled to her feet, stumbling over to the redhead and grasping his prosthetic, trying to pull the man alongside her towards the hole as a mighty creak echoed throughout the cellar. He made no attempt to respond, only looking up at her with an empty expression as Evelyn tried to persuade him to move. Another crack rumbled through the air, and in a panic Evelyn gripped underneath the man's arms, crying out in pain as she began to weakly drag the man through the hole. A thunderous crash sounded out as she pulled the ringleader through, dirt rubbing against her legs and skirt as she continued to haul herself and Joker through the passageway.

With great difficulty Evelyn struggled upwards, twisting and contorting herself as she dizzily made her way through the tunnel, dragging Joker alongside her. She tired quickly, having to stop and rest multiple times before continuing, feeling lightheaded as her head whirled. After what felt like hours she bumped into something tough and cold, and with a hard push light flooded the tunnel, a small wooden door swinging open with its latch clattering in the late night air.

Climbing through the door, Evelyn hauled Joker up as well, collapsing onto the grass and gulping in the cool air, gasping for breath. Eventually she covered her face, closing her eyes and feeling practically giddy despite the pain and the ordeal she had just gone through. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you," She chanted, uttering a quiet prayer as she turned on her side, smiling and reaching out a hand to stroke the redhead's cheek. "We got out," she whispered, slipping her thumb over the man's ashen, dirty skin. "We're alive."

_Something's wrong._

Suddenly feeling terrified, Evelyn jolted up, choking slightly as pain streaked through her stomach. She stared at Joker's closed eyes, an overwhelming sense of dread crossing her as she placed a shaking hand on his chest, willing it to heave with air as she waited. "No," Evelyn spoke aloud, her eyes widening in horror as her hand lay still on his chest, feeling nothing as her head spun. "No, no way, you're not doing this now," her voice cracked as she threw one leg over the man, straddling him and laying her head on his chest, listening to the sound of silence. "Not after everything that just happened. You're not leaving me now. You _can't,_" she pleaded, raising her head and staring, horrified, at his still face.

"You _bastard!_" The shriek ended with a stifled sob as Evelyn raised a hand, allowing her palm to crack against the side of Joker's face. "This isn't funny! Wake _up!_" She hiccuped, tears beginning to flood down her face as she slapped him again, trying desperately to wake the man from his stupor and leaving an angry red weal on his skin. "Please," she whispered, bringing her hands down and beginning to push against his chest, leaning down and blowing air into his mouth. "Please," she begged once again, repeating the action over and over before she laid her head on his chest once again, a wail tearing from her throat as she cried loudly into his scorched, burnt shirt. _  
_

Eventually her cries quieted into small, agonized whimpers, and Evelyn laid on the man's chest for a long time, closing her red-rimmed eyes and sniffling noisily. Reaching down a hand, she felt her abdomen once again, feeling puckered, hot, dry skin where there should have been ragged, wet flesh. _Those embers must have cauterized it, _Evelyn thought, bringing her hand up to pet the ringleader's hair once more. Abruptly, a bitter, hysterical laugh forced itself from her body, shaking her shoulders and causing tears to run down her face. "Of course!" She sat up, tilting her head to stare up at the stars, a cynical smile spreading across her face.

"Of course, _I_ had to live! You're not done with me yet, are you? No, you want to torment me for a good, long while!" Evelyn yelled up at the sky, at what or whom she didn't know. Eventually she settled down, rolling off of Joker and resting against the cold dirt, throwing an arm over her face and feeling the full effects of her injuries as she closed her eyes. "God," she whispered, shuddering from grief rather than cold as the last of her tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

_It had to be him, didn't it? No, it couldn't have been the Earl. Couldn't have been his bloody butler. It couldn't even have been one of the second tiers. Of course it was him. _

As Evelyn selfishly lamented, a tiny, beautiful sound reached her ears, rasping quietly in the late night wind. Throwing her arm off of her face, Evelyn's head whipped to the side, and she stared at the man laying next to her in disbelief, not even daring to move as she watched him closely, the small noise echoing in her ears once again.

A rough, wet cough.

Accompanied by a shallow breath.

_Thank you._

* * *

**Oh my god this was an extremely painful chapter to write.**

**Anyway, Joker's alive! And so is Evelyn! Everybody celebrate!  
**

**I'll see you guys in chapter 18! (The final chapter!)**


	18. Chapter 18

Silence.

Evelyn shifted uncomfortably against a tree, fidgeting with her torn skirt and glancing quickly over at Joker as she struggled to find something, anything, to say. The silence between the two was deafening, to say the least. Neither spoke; each just leaned against their designated trees and stared - Joker at his hastily bandaged stump, Evelyn at her lap.

"Er..." The sound was long, drawn-out, and just as cringe-worthy as Evelyn thought it was sound. Looking to Joker, she studied his face for a moment, before grunting and struggling towards the small creek that they had stayed near in order to recover. She felt the redhead's eyes watching her as she tore a piece from her skirt, leaning down and dunking it into the water, wringing it out as she pulled it from the rocks. Without a word, Evelyn turned back around and stepped towards the man, kneeling in front of him and soundlessly beginning to wipe days worth of dirt, grime, and running makeup from his face.

Two days had passed since they had escaped from the mansion. Forty-eight hours since Evelyn had thought Joker was dead. After the man had taken a shuddering breath, violently coughing and taking great gasps of the crisp February air, Evelyn had hugged him tightly, tears bursting forth from her eyes once again as she sobbed and pressed her lips to his. After a weak, quiet "I love you," the redhead had allowed her to pull away his skeletal prosthetic, watching her solemnly as she tossed the bone far off into the shrubbery. And thus, the pair's new life had begun.

Evelyn was tasked with mostly everything. Even in her wounded state, she stabbed at fish with sharpened sticks, threw rocks at small animals and gutted them, tore a long length of cloth from her petticoat and wrapped it tightly around Joker's severed arm. She was met with many grateful thanks and apologies from the man, seeing as he couldn't do more. It wasn't as if she minded - it wasn't as if she could complain, anyway. _At least I have both hands to do this with, _Evelyn had thought sadly as she tossed a large stone at a rabbit, feeling sick to her stomach at the crunch that came from the poor creature's head.

"Thank you." Joker's voice was quiet as Evelyn drew the cloth away from his (now bare) face. The girl visibly saddened as she ran her thumb over his bruised cheek, darkened from her panicked slap two days before. He flinched slightly as she caressed the bruise, and immediately Evelyn drew away, apologizing and feeling horribly guilty. "I've no idea where this even came from. Did Black hit me? I don't remember it, if he did." Evelyn smiled sheepishly at Joker, looking down at her lap before replying.

"...No, that was me," she admitted, raising a hand and rubbing the back of her neck. "I kind of... panicked."

To her surprise, Joker chuckled quietly. "I don't blame you," he smiled, albeit sadly, down at the girl before leaning in and pressing his lips to her cheek. Evelyn turned as he pulled away, settling down beside the man with a slight groan.

"So..." the redhead sighed heavily, settling back against a tree and looking up at the slowly darkening sky. "What do we do now? What's next?"

The question hung in the air for quite some time, neither the redhead nor the brunette giving an answer. After a while of silence Evelyn turned to look at Joker, a steely look crossing her face as the answer came to her mind.

"I'll tell you what's next," she replied, leaning in and winding her fingers into his disheveled hair, kissing him fiercely. As Evelyn pulled away for air, a vicious smile crossed her face, her voice dripping with contempt as she spoke.

"We eliminate Ciel Phantomhive."

* * *

**And thus, the story ends.**

**I'd like to thank you all for following Cirque de Merveilles so closely and being so kind and supportive. It really means a lot that you took the time to read my cheesy little love story. This is the first story I've ever actually finished, so that means even more. THANK YOU.**

**So what does this mean? Evelyn's story is definitely not over. I'll give you a bit of a spoiler - there's a sequel in the works. :) Remember those one-shots I promised? While the planning period is in process, I'll write a little one-shot from time to time until the sequel is up and running. Look forward to it!**

**Also, remember the roleplay account I told you guys about? Well, only two people voted, so I went ahead and made the account - and it's a Joker roleplay. I cannot get enough of his character, let me tell you. Anyway, I'll have the name of it up on my profile, so check there if you'd like to keep up with my shenanigans!**

**See you next time!**


End file.
